Rosmole
by Kata
Summary: The Mole, with a Roswellian Twist
1. Chapter One

Title: Rosmole (1/?)

Author: Kata 

E-mail: Katayla@juno.com

Disclaimer: Despite writing fanfic for over a year now, I still don't own them. Does that really surprise you?

Rating: PG

Catergory: All conventional couples, with an emphasis on my favorites. :-) (M/M, K/T)

Summary: The Mole, with a Roswellian twist.

Author's notes: This is an idea I've had ever since I became obsessed with The Mole. I really want to know what you think about this one. 

******

Ten friends playing for up to one million dollars. Among them a saboteur, a traitor, the mole. The winner? The one who answers the question, who is the mole?

Anderson Cooper stepped out from behind a large rock. "If you watched our show last year, you'll notice things are a little different. Instead of ten strangers, we have picked ten friends, one of whom will betray the rest, the mole." He walked over to a large clearing, hands behind his back. "Our contestants are all from Roswell, New Mexico. That's right; Roswell, site of the infamous UFO crash. You may also notice our contestants are quite a bit younger. Eight teenagers, and two of their parents. Will their youth and friendship help them win it all? Or will they crack under the pressure?" Anderson walked to the center of the clearing. "We begin our journey in Germany, on the outskirts of Berlin. Let's meet our contestants. They are: Amy DeLuca; her daughter, Maria ; Isabel Evans; her brother, Max; Michael Guerin; Tess Harding; Liz Parker; Jim and his son Kyle Valenti; and finally, Alex Whitman." One by one, each contestant entered the clearing, until they were all gathered in a large semi-circle around Anderson Cooper. "Welcome."

They all smiled nervously back at their host. Only Maria broke the silence with a small, "hi."

"Since you all know each other, I'm assuming introductions will be immaterial." At the group nod, Anderson continued, "You all know the rules of the game. You will work together to make money for a group pot. One of you, however, is working for us, and will try to sabotage your efforts. Are you ready for your first task?" Once again, the ten contestants nodded. "It's a simple task; to find your hotel. You have two hours to win ten thousand dollars. Your only help will be this van, and the clues within it." Anderson Cooper gestured to a large vehicle behind him. "Any questions? Then-- go!"

The group rushed to the van. Tess reached it first, and yanked on the passenger door, only to find it wouldn't budge. "It's locked," she told the others.

"Locked?" Maria asked. "But why would they do that?"

Max walked around the car, trying each door. "They're all locked!"

"There must be a key somewhere," Michael said. 

"Check under the bumper," Amy suggested. "That's where I keep my spare."

"Really?" Michael raised his eyebrows. "I'll have to remember that."

"You are not stealing my car anymore, Spaceboy!" Maria yelled, smacking Michael in the arm.

Anderson Cooper was watching the group from a distance, a small smile playing on his lips. Oh, yes, this would be an interesting group to watch.

Liz checked under the bumper. "No key!"

"Anyone know how to break in?" Isabel asked. "Sheriff? You must have experience helping people get into locked cars."

"Not without a coat hanger or something like that."

Alex was searching his pockets. "Would a paper clip help?"

Jim took it doubtfully. "I'll try." He unbent the paper clip, and started jiggling it around in the lock. 

"Almost... almost... got it!"

"All right!" Maria yelled, and hurried to jump into the car.

"Come on, open the doors for the rest of us!" Kyle shouted after her. Soon the group was swarming over the insides and outsides of the van, trying to find clues.

"I found a hotel brochure," Amy said, holding it out. "It says the hotel's in... Eberswalde."

She stumbled over the German pronunciation. "It has directions on it."

"Let's go!" Tess shouted.

"They're in German."

Isabel groaned. "And we're all Spanish students!"

"Actually, I speak a little German," Tess said. "I traveled here with... my father." Can't say that name, she reminded herself. They didn't know who would be watching the show.

"Um... one problem. Guys?" Kyle said. Everyone turned to look at him. "Anyone got the keys?"

"I knew this was too easy," Maria murmured. "Okay, Sheriff? You HAVE to know how to hot-wire a car."

Valenti looked uncertain. "I used to be able to, but...."

"It's worth a shot, Dad."

Jim shrugged, and moved outside to look under the hood of the car. It was twenty minutes later when he finally got it started.

"Okay, let's go!" Amy said, as they all piled in the van, finally on their way.

"What?" Michael asked Maria, who had a puzzled look on her face.

She shook her head. "Nothing. Just-- don't you think the Sheriff took an awfully long time to do that?"

"Don't ask me," Michael said. "I'm the one who wrecked your Jetta, remember?"

Maria smiled, "He could be the mole. Or you could be the mole, and use this information against me."

"Paranoid!"

"Hey, Spaceboy, I'm the one who watched the show. I know how it works."

As Michael and Maria continued happily bickering, Jim was trying to get directions from Tess.

"I'm sorry, Jim. It's been a long time. Okay, I'm pretty sure 'rechts' is right."

"Pretty sure?" Amy asked. 

"Just go right. You can always blame me later."

Jim pulled the van out on the road, following Tess' sometimes dubious instructions. In the back, the others were talking quietly... except for Michael and Maria who were shouting at the top of their lungs. In the back seat, Max was trying to talk to Liz.

"Liz, come on, we're going to be spending a lot of time together. You can't just ignore me."

Liz sighed. "Max, don't you get it? I never had a choice in any of this. Not in the game, not in--" she broke off, suddenly aware of the videocamera taping their every move. "I don't even know if I want to be a part of this group anymore."

"Liz, you can't turn your back on us."

"Max, it's just too hard. I don't feel like my own person anymore. Everytime I think I've got everything worked out, something new comes up. Even you--" Once again, Liz broke off, for fear of revealing a secret. They had too many secrets. 

Max's eyes were sorrowful, remembering his earlier premonition that just who he was would hurt Liz. "I'm sorry." Before he could say anything more, the van started making spluttering sounds, and finally slid to a stop.

"Great, Dad! You broke the van. We're never going to win anything this way." Kyle groaned.

"I don't think it was me, Kyle." Jim stepped out of the van, and propped the hood open. Michael started to get out of the car, but Maria stopped him.

"No way! Remember what you did to my car?"

Amy was watching Maria. "I don't want to know. I don't want to know. I may never let you have the car again, but I don't want to know."

"Mom!" Maria leaned back in her seat, muttering something about overprotective moms who followed their daughters everywhere.

Jim climbed back in the van. "Someone let all the oil out," he reported.

"Let it out?" Alex asked. "As in purposefully?"

"What did you expect?" Isabel asked. "This *is* The Mole, after all."

"No one had the chance to take it out," Tess said. "Jim is the only one who got near the oil, and we were all watching him."

Kyle shook his head. "You can let the oil out from under the car, and we were all under there looking for the key."

"And of course no one of us thought to check the oil before we left," Jim said, shaking his head. "There was probably a huge pile under the van."

"It doesn't matter," Maria said. "Well, I mean, of course it matters, because we can't go anywhere, but--"

"Maria, you're babbling," Michael pointed out.

Maria shot him a dirty look. "The point is, we need to figure out how to fix the problem, not what happened."

"Our only chance is to walk to a gas station," Kyle said.

"Glad you volunteered," Jim said.

"What? No, Dad--"

"Take Tess with you to translate, and hurry. We only have an hour." Jim tossed Kyle his wallet. "Have fun!'

Kyle climbed out of the car, grumbling about parents who ruined their children's fun, and waited for Tess to join him.

"Now, Kyle," she admonished him. "Is that any way to talk about your dad?"

"You look far too happy," he replied in a moody voice. "Don't tell me you actually want to be walking out here."

Tess shrugged. "It's better than being stuffed in that van with nine other people, including two that don't 

want to be there."

"Max and Liz?"

Tess nodded. "They only came because Maria made them. Neither one really wanted to spend any extra time with me."

"Tess--"

"Anyway," Tess said, quickly changing the subject. "Could anyone really have taken that oil out?"

Kyle shrugged. "You'd have to know how, but it's just a matter of unscrewing a cap."

"Oh." Tess sounded disappointed. "Kyle?"

"Hm?"

"Do you know where we're going?"

Kyle laughed. "Not really, but there's gotta be a sign somewhere."

A couple of minutes later, they found a sign. Tess stared out it for a couple of minutes, trying to remember her German.

"Okay," she finally said. "It's the next exit."

"Are you sure?"

"Are you going to question everything I do?"

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I wouldn't want to fight with my favorite human, would I?" She stuck her tongue out at him, and started running.

"Tess! Hey, wait up!"

Back at the van, the others were starting to get restless.

"Where are they?" Liz grumbled, checking her watch.

"They are walking, Liz," Maria pointed out. "And besides, this is all part of the adventure."

"Some adventure." Liz walked over to sit on a nearby rock.

"What with her?" Amy asked her daughter.

Maria shrugged. "She didn't want to come. She and Max still have some problems to work out."

A couple of minutes later, a car sped up to them, and Tess and Kyle hopped out, followed by the driver, a tall, middle-aged man.

"I hear you have some car trouble," he said, in a distinct German accent.

Jim nodded. "The oil's gone."

"So they told me. That will only take a couple of minutes to fix."

True to his word, the group was off in less than ten minutes.

"How much time do we have left?" Michael asked anxiously.

"Twenty minutes," Jim said tersely.

"Than go faster!" Amy broke in. "This is Germany. You're supposed to go fast!"

"I'm the Sheriff. It's unethical!"

"Do you want me to drive?" Amy asked, knowing his male ego would prevent him from letting a female 

drive.

Jim didn't answer, but increased his speed. They made it to Eberswalde, with five minutes to find the hotel.

"It should be just ahead," Tess said, looking down at the instructions. "There!"

Jim sped into the small parking lot, and slammed the brakes down. "Come on! We're running out of time."

The group jumped out of the van, pausing only when Isabel tripped over the curb. Anderson was waiting patiently in the lobby.

"In with two minutes to spare. Good job, gang. That's ten thousand for the group pot."

Nearby Alex had collapsed in a chair. "Good. Just point me to my room."

Isabel laughed. "Get up. You're not any tired than the rest of us!"

Anderson smiled. "You've earned yourselves a break. Today and tomorrow are yours. Have fun exploring 

the town, but be ready for your next challenge."

They were too tired to do anything much that day, but the next was full of fun. There was a swimming pool that everyone got thrown into a least once, and Maria and Isabel nearly bought the local stores out of business. (Or so Michael claimed)

When the time for the next challenge rolled around, everyone was rested and ready. They met in the hotel lobby, with their bags packed. The ten contestants gathered in a semi-circle around their host.

"Are you ready for your next challenge?" Anderson asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Do we really have a choice?" Kyle asked.

"Well, no, but it's polite to ask." Anderson shot a quick grin at the group. "I see your all packed, so let's get to the van. I'll tell you about your next challenge when we reach our next hotel."

Maria groaned. "Because of course it would be far too much trouble to tell us now!"

Maria was only more annoyed when they arrived at a hotel halfway across town. "What was wrong with the hotel we had?" she demanded.

Michael swung his arm around her. "Come on, babe, play the game!"

"Babe? Michael, do you have any idea how sexist that is?" Maria shook her head and left him to talk to Liz.

Once again, the group gathered in the lobby of a hotel. "Okay, now I'll tell you about the challenge," 

Anderson told them. "It's simple. One of you will have this ring of keys." he held out a keychain with ten keys dangling from it. "All you have to do is get everyone in their rooms, with their bags, within fifteen minutes. Room numbers are on the keys. Oh, and one more thing, to make it fun, you have to be in alphabetical order and numerical order."

"So a person with an A name would have to be in the lowest numbered room?" Alex clarified.

"Right. Each room is worth $10,000 for a total of $100,000. Any more questions?" Everyone shook their heads. "Then... on your marks, get set, go!" Anderson tossed the keys at the group. Michael caught them.

"What's the lowest number?" Isabel asked.

Michael started flipping through the keys. "202... 308...no...oh! here! 101."

"Okay, so who would that be?" Tess asked.

"Not to be a spoilsport or anything," Maria cut in, "but shouldn't we discuss this AFTER we start walking."

"Whatever you say, babe."

"This way," Amy said, after checking a sign. Before long, they were in front of a door bearing a 101 nameplate.

"So this is... Amy's room," Isabel said, after a quick glance around the room.

"Right," Michael said, as he unlocked the door. "No! Wait, Alex!"

"Gee guys, don't you know your alphabet?" Alex asked, as he swung into the door.

Michael opened his mouth for a retort, but before he could speak, Maria jabbed him in the ribs. "Move, move Spaceboy! We've already wasted time!"

"What room's next?" Kyle asked, as they rushed down the hall.

"202," Michael answered.

"Are you sure?" Maria asked. "I thought I saw a 150."

Michael checked the keys. "Oh, right." They continued running down the hall.

After a few moments, Tess spoke, "Um, guys? Have you noticed we're up to 175?"

The friends looked at each other with dismayed gazes, before turning around and running the other way.

"Hurry, hurry!" Maria urged, hopping from one foot to the other, as Michael struggled with the key.

"I'm not used to keys, okay?" Michael snapped.

"Here, give it to me." Maria snatched the keys from Michael and began jiggling the doorknob.

"Ha! Not as easy as you thought, is it?"

"Hon?" Amy broke in. "Maybe you should use the key marked 150?"

Maria slapped herself. "Thanks, Mom." With the right key in hand, it took only seconds to open the door.

"Who's room?" Kyle asked.

"Amy's," Isabel answered. She wasn't one to make the same mistake twice.

"Go!" Maria shouted, pushing her mother into the room.

"Nice to know you care," Amy remarked mildly as she stepped into the room.

The remaining eight continued their rush down the hall.

"What room is next?" Kyle asked.

"202," Maria responded.

"How much time do we have left?" The question came from Tess.

"I don't know," Maria answered. "Michael was keeping the time.

"What? I don't have a watch!"

"Did anyone bother to keep track?" Isabel asked in a withering voice. "Great. I'm with a bunch of idiots."

"Don't play innocent," Maria snapped. "You have a watch; why didn't *you* keep time?"

"Would you all just shut up?" Liz shouted. "This is just a dumb game."

Maria shot a question glance at her best friend. Liz rarely shouted. "We're wasting time. Let's just find the room. I'm sure Anderson will find us when the time is up."

"We need to go to the next floor," Tess suddenly said.

"How do you know?" Michael demanded.

"Read the sign!"

"It's in German!"

"Trust me. It says we have to go up a level."

"We can't trust you!" Maria shouted. "That's the whole point of the game."

The Sheriff broke in. "If there's one thing I've learned being sheriff, it's that sometimes you have to trust your enemies. Come on." He led the group to the second floor, where they quickly found room 202.

"Told you," Tess said smugly.

Maria ignored her. "Whose room is this?" She asked, as she unlocked the door.

Michael was murmuring to himself. "A...B...C...... Isabel!'

"Go, go, go!" Isabel stepped into the room and shut the door behind her.

The others continued their mad rush down the hall-- and just barely missed slamming into Anderson 

Cooper.

"Time's up," he announced.

"Only 30,000 dollars," Michael groaned, slumping against the wall.

"Hey, quit doing my job!" Anderson interjected. "You now have $40,000 in your group pot.

The first execution is tonight. Until then, you're free."

The contestants first spread out across the hotel, but eventually gathered in the pool area.

"Who is the mole?" Michael asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Does it matter?" Max asked. 

"Of course it does! Do you know how much money we're playing for?"

"Do you know how much danger we're in?" Max asked. "We are constantly followed by cameras!"

"Max!" Liz exclaimed. "Be quiet!" She gestured back at the cameras.

"I'm not that dumb," Max snapped. "If we're going to risk our lives for some dumb game, then at least I can 

put my powers to good use. They can't hear us."

"Can my mom hear us?" Maria asked pointedly.

Kyle shook his head, and pointed to the far side of the pool where Amy and Jim were splashing each other. "They're in their own world."

"We're just normal teens," Isabel said quietly. "That's *all* Max."

"We don't know who will watch this!"

"Don't be silly, Max," Tess broke in. "Our enemies already know who we are. Being on national TV isn't 

going to change that."

"Fine," Max snapped. "But I don't like it." He turned and walked off.

"Well, I guess he isn't the mole," Michael muttered.

"Michael!" Liz reprimanded. "This is serious!"

"No, it's not, Liz. If you think about it, this is the safest place we could be. We're constantly surrounded by cameras. We can't use our powers, but neither can our enemies. We're just normal teens." Michael concluded. He looked around at the others. "Let's all agree on that, okay? Just for this game, forget about the Skins, the Granolith, our powers, and for once, have a normal life." At the nods of the others, Michael suddenly switched the subject. "Okay, so who is the mole?"

"Like we're going to tell you!" Maria snorted.

"Does that mean you know something?"

"No, it doesn't mean I know something." Maria retorted.

"Oh, yeah? We'll see if your story changes once I dump you into the water." He began moving towards 

Maria. She screamed, and took off in a run, Michael following close behind.

Slowly, the group dissipated across the hotel, finally feeling the freedom to be normal teens. Isabel, Tess, Alex, and Kyle decided to join Amy and Jim's splash fest, and Liz disappeared into her room. The time until the execution seemed to fly, and soon, they were all taking their tests, answering questions like "what color of shoes was the mole wearing on the first day?" (The fact that none of they guys knew what color of shoes *they* were wearing probably gave the girls an advantage.)

"All right," Anderson said. "Now that you've all taken the test, it's time for our first execution. You all know how it works. The person with the most wrong answers leaves, and the rest of you continue playing. When you're ready, I'll enter your name into the computer. If a green thumbprint appears, you stay. If a red thumbprint appears, you are the moles first victim, and you'll have to take your bags and leave the game. Who wants to go first?"

Michael shrugged. "Might as well." He breathed a sigh of relief when a green thumbprint showed on the screen.

One by one, Maria, Isabel, and Alex had their names entered, and saw a green thumbprint. Then it was Max's turn. A red thumbprint.

"Sorry, Max," was all Anderson said.

One by one Max hugged his friends good-bye (with the exception of Liz, who ignored him), whispering a quick 'be careful' into each of their ears, before departing.

"Congratulations," Anderson said, to the remaining contestants. "You've survived the first execution. See 

you tomorrow for the next challenge."

One by one, they departed to their hotel rooms, wondering what the next day would bring, and asking the age old question, "who is the mole?" (Except for the mole, of course, who stayed up late, plotting ways to ruin the next days challenge.)


	2. Chapter Two

Title: Rosmole (2/10)

Author: Kata 

E-mail: Katayla@juno.com

Disclaimer: Neither Roswell nor the Mole belong to be, but if you're offering....

Rating: PG

Couplings: Conventional

Summary: The Mole with, a Roswellian twist.

Author's Notes: First of all, I'm sorry for the delay on this part. My job leaves me with little free time and less energy. On top of that, I have two summer projects and a class to go with my internship. Don't you love growing up? I also must apologize for the length of this author's note. Long one's have always bothered me and here I go rambling on! :-) It was pointed out to me that not everyone knows what the Mole is about. Here's a quick description: It starts with ten players all working together for a group pot. They have a number of tasks (like challenges on Surviver) that will earn them money, if they complete them correctly and in time. The total amount of money possible is one million dollars. It is the Mole's job to sabotage the tasks. At the end of each show, all of the contestants have to indivually answer twenty questions on the identity of the Mole. The one who gets the fewest right is "executed." (kicked off) There's a sepecial guest appearance in this part, suggested by my sister. 

******

Ten friends playing for up to one million dollars. Among them a saboteur, a traitor, the mole. The winner? The one who answers the question, who is the mole?

It was the next day, and time for the next challenge. Once again, the group of contestants gathered in the hotel lobby, surrounded by mounds of bags.

"Don't tell me," Maria said. "We have to go to our next hotel before finding out about the challenge."

Anderson smiled at her. "I don't make the rules. Actually, only your bags will go to the next hotel. We're going just outside of Hamburg."

"Should I even ask why?" Isabel asked.

"Well, you could, but it wouldn't do much good," Anderson replied. "Come on out to the van."

"You know, this is becoming like a second home," Michael muttered under his breath.

"Aren't you used to spending hours at a time on the road, Michael?" Maria demanded. "Do I need to remind you of how many times you stole my car to--"

"What?" Amy said. She turned to stare at her daughter.

"Nothing, Mom."

Amy shook her head. "I don't know why I bother."

Jim laughed. "It's our own fault for getting roped into a trip with eight teenagers!"

Despite Alex and Kyle hitting each other everytime they saw a "slug bug," the trip flew by.

"Okay, where are we?" Maria asked, as the van stopped near a wide field.

"Your at the site of your next challenge," Anderson said, as the Roswellians gathered around him.

"Which is...?" Maria asked impatiently.

"Maria! I raised you with better manners than that!" Amy complained.

Maria shrugged. "Okay, then what is the next challenge *please*?"

"We've set up six games for you. Some are athletic, and some are mental. Each task is worth $10,000 for a total of $60,000."

"You don't really have to add it up," Alex remarked. "We're not *that* dumb."

Anderson shrugged. "It's in the script. You'll have a time limit for each challenge. Any questions?"

"Yeah," Michael interjected. "Who's the mole?"

"Can't tell you that one. Any other questions? Okay, then let's get started. Maria, you're the farmer. Michael 

you're the grain. Alex is the fox, and Isabel is the chicken."

"A chicken!" Isabel exclaimed. "Do I have to?"

Anderson ignored her. The rest of you are just bystanders for this challenge. This is the river." Anderson 

gestured at a blue piece of paper on the ground.

"Low budget?" Alex asked.

"Something like that. Maria, you have to get the chicken, the feed, and the fox across the river, but you can 

only take one at a time. If you leave the chicken and the fox alone, the fox will eat the chicken, and if you leave the chicken alone with the grain, the chicken will eat the grain. You have two minutes, starting now."

"There's a simple logic to this," Alex said. "There has to be."

"Okay, so I'll take the chicken first," Maria decided. "Any objections?"

"Yes!" Isabel said. "I don't want to be the chicken."

"But you make such a beautiful one." Alex smiled.

"Thanks, I think."

Maria led Isabel over the 'river.' "I guess I'll come back now," Maria said. "Now what?"

"Take the fox," Tess yelled from the sidelines.

"He'll eat me!" Isabel shouted back.

"The grain, then."

"No, then *I'll* get eaten," Michael complained.

"That might not be a bad idea," Maria muttered under her breath.

"Hey!"

"Wait," Alex interrupted. "No one said we had to do this in a certain number of trips, did they? Why don't you take the fox across and then take the chicken back? Then you can take the grain, and the chicken."

"Good idea. Come on, fox." Maria led Alex across the river and then headed back.

"Don't forget me!" Isabel called. "I don't want to get eaten!"

"Oops." Maria grabbed Isabel, and took her over the river. "Now the grain-- and don't get fresh."

"Would I do that?" Maria led Michael across the river, but before she could go back for Isabel, Anderson yelled "time!"

"You had the right solution, guys. You were just a little too slow. This next challenge is all about trust."

"Believe me, we trust each other!" Maria exclaimed.

Anderson smiled. "Then you should have no trouble with this next challenge. Follow me." He led them to a small set of stairs, leading to nowhere. "It's simple. Each of you will have to fall backwards from the staircase and be caught by the rest of the group. You have five minutes, starting now."

"I've done this before," Tess said. "Strongest people in the front and middle. Weakest in the back. Hold you arms out, palms up." Tess quickly organized the group until they formed a kind of bed with their arms. "I'll go first since I'm the lightest." She ran up the stairs and fell without hesitation. 

"Liz, you're next," Tess urged. Liz didn't look very enthusiastic about the matter, but she did as Tess instructed. By following Tess' instructions, they managed to finish in under four minutes.

"You didn't even drop me," Kyle exclaimed.

"That's because we're strong women!" Maria showed her biceps to Kyle.

"Good job, everyone," Anderson said. "This next one is a bit harder. Come here."

"Does anyone else think we spend more time going to challenges then action *doing* the challenge?" Liz grumbled.

Maria laughed. "Don't be such a wet blanket, Lizzie. We're here to have fun, remember?"

"No," Liz said sharply. "I *don't* remember."

Maria sighed, then turned her attention to Anderson, who was now standing by a square foot block of wood.

"Next challenge. Balance on this block of wood one minute. You'll have five minutes for this one. You start now."

Isabel stared doubtfully at the block. "All of us? On that little piece of wood. I don't think so!"

Jim shrugged. "We have to give it a try."

"So how are we going to do this?" Kyle asked. 

"Let's just climb on," Amy suggested. "It might work." Her voice was doubtful, but they agreed to her suggestion. One by one, they climbed onto the block, clinging on to each other with all their strength, shouting various remarks to each other.

"Hey! That was my foot!"

"Don't me there!" 

"Your squashing me! I can't breathe!"

Yet somehow they all managed to get on the block, and stay up: for five seconds.

After they had untangled themselves from the each other, Jim spoke up. "Do we all actually have to be touching the block?" At the others' blank looks, he continued. "Maybe the girls can climb on the guys backs. We might be able to fit better that way." He turned to Amy. "Want a piggy back ride?"

Amy laughed. "Okay, but if you drop me, I'm never speaking to you again!"

Meanwhile, Michael had turned to Maria, Isabel climbed onto Alex's back, and Tess tried to jump on Kyle's back.

"You're too tall!" Tess complained.

"You're too short!" Kyle retorted.

"At least kneel down a little," Tess suggested. "There, that's better." She climbed onto his back.

"Oof! You're heavy. Ouch! What was that for?" Kyle asked, rubbing the spot on his head where Tess had 

hit him.

Liz was standing nearby watching all the action with a sad expression on her face. Even though she knew 

she couldn't be with Max, right then she missed him more than she cared to admit.

"Get in the middle, Liz!" Maria called, from high on Michael's back. "You can sort of be our balancing pole."

Liz gave her a strange look. "Sometimes you make absolutely no sense, Maria."

"Sometimes?" Michael asked, then groaned as Maria dug her heel into his side.

With Liz standing in the middle, the other couples one by one stepped onto the block-- and one by one, fell off again.

"It's not working." Alex needlessly pointed out.

"We all realize that," Isabel said. "Although of course, none of us know how to fix it."

"It's not exactly our fault, Izzy," Michael broke in. "We're trying."

"If you were trying, you wouldn't have nearly dropped me!" Maria yelled.

"If they hadn't pushed into me, I wouldn't have!" Michael yelled back, gesturing at Alex and Isabel.

"It's not my fault Kyle stepped on my foot!" Alex shouted.

"Shut up!" The group all turned to stare at Tess, who had an expression of anger on her tiny face. "It's all of your faults! If we worked together, we could do this! Instead, all you want to do is yell at each other. We're going to lose the task-- just like the Mole wants!"

Ashamed, the rest of the group fell silent, casting suspicious glances at each other. Which of them was the mole, secretly working to sabotage the group? Silently, they once again climbed onto the block of wood. They had managed to stay on for almost thirty seconds, when Anderson called, "Time."

He walked up to join them. "You lost the challenge, but I suspect you learned a valuable lesson about getting along. Let's see you put this to use in the next challenge. I'm sure many of you have done this before. Stand in a circle, reach your hands forward, and grab someone else's hand. Not of the same person or anyone standing next to you." Anderson waited until they had followed his instructions. "Now, untangle yourselves. You have two minutes. Don't let go of anyone's hands or you'll lose the task."

"And to think I used to love this game," Maria murmured to herself.

Valenti took control immediately. "Let's see... Michael you need to cross under, and Tess needs to come over." 

"This isn't working," Liz complained. She was stuck between Tess and Maria, with her arm twisted around her.

"Yes it is," Amy put in. "Kyle and I just need to come around you."

Within a minute, they were standing in a circle.

"All right!" Maria cheered. "We did it!"

Across from here, Michael was shaking out his hand. "Barely. Did you have to twist my arm around like that?" he asked Kyle.

"At least you're facing the right way," Liz grumbled. She had ended up turned backwards, facing away from the rest of the group.

"Good job!" Anderson walked up to them, clapping his hands. "Are you ready for your next task?"

Isabel groaned. "No, but I'm ready for bed."

"Not yet, Isabel." Anderson led the contestants to yet another part of the field, where a circle had been painted on the ground. About ten feet away from the circle was a black line with a bucket next to it. "It's simple. Each of you will have to wear a blindfold and toss a frog into the circle."

"A frog!" Maria exclaimed.

"It's fake," Anderson reassured her. "The rest of you can help guide the person throwing, but you can't touch them. You have ten minutes for each of you to get one frog in the circle. Begin now." He stepped back to watch the fun.

"I"ll start," Alex volunteered. Isabel tied a blindfold around his eyes and handed him a frog. "Okay, where am I throwing?"

"You're facing the right direction, but step maybe one foot to your right," Isabel said. "Now throw. Alex threw the frog. It landed a couple of feet away from the circle. "Just a little harder." 

"Yes!" Maria cried, as the thrown frog landed in the center of the circle.

Alex pushed down his blindfold. "Wow. I've never thrown that well before. Thanks, Iz." He leaned down and kissed Isabel's cheek. Isabel blushed, but didn't protest.

"My turn," she said quickly, and tied the blindfold herself. Her first throw was way off target.

Tess burst out laughing. "I hope you never tried out for baseball, Isabel!"

"That bad, huh?"

"Throw to the left about ten feet and about ten times harder!" Michael called out helpfully.

Isabel's second shot was closer, but still off mark. "It didn't make it, did it?" Isabel asked.

"Not quite," Alex told her. "Just a little more to the left, and a little harder. Too hard!" he added, when her third shot flew over the circle.

"Okay." Isabel straightened up. "I *will* make this one." She took a deep breath and threw the frog.

"You made it!" Maria shrieked.

Isabel pulled the blindfold down. "I did?" Her mouth dropped open, and she let out a very un-Isabel like squeal and hugged the nearest person, who just happened to be Alex.

"Who's next?" Michael asked, dangling the blindfold from his hands.

"You are Spaceboy," Maria said sweetly, as she tied the blindfold for him.

Michael sighed. "I should have known that was coming." He grabbed a frog and threw it, seemingly randomly.

Maria's jaw dropped. "I don't believe it."

"What?" Michael demanded. "It couldn't have been that bad."

"You made it."

"I did?" Michael asked, a tone of complete bafflement in his voice, as he took off the blindfold and stared at the frog.

The sheriff was up next. "You know, this reminds me of a training exercise," he said conversationally. "We practice shooting at targets in the dark. I got quite good at it," he finished as the frog landed in the exact center of the circle.

Kyle stepped up next. "If Dad can do it, anyone can, right?" Apparently good throwing genes ran in the Valenti family, because Kyle also made it on the first try.

Maria wasn't nearly as lucky. "There's a reason I don't play sports!" she declared, after she missed the circle for the fifth time. She threw it again, half-heatedly and finally made the target. Michael moved up to her.

"Good job." She moved away from him. "What?" he asked, moving out of the way of Tess, who stepped up to take her turn.

"You cheated, Michael." Her voice sounded disappointed. "I thought we all agreed not to do that."

"Come on, Maria. It doesn't really matter."

"Yes it does!" She spun around to stare at him. "I wanted to do it for myself! I want to do this game for myself."

"Okay, okay." Michael held his hands up. "No more cheating."

"Do you *promise*?" Maria stressed the word.

"I promise."

"If you break that promise, Michael Guerin, I swear I will never talk to you again. I don't care if you're the Mole or how badly you won't to win that money."

"I promise," Michael said solemnly. "I can vouch for the others, too. No cheating."

"Thank you," Maria said. "I don't want to deal with any of that stuff during the game."

They were interrupted by a yell from Tess. "I did it, I did it!" She jumped up and down excitedly.

Nearby, Amy laughed. "Okay, now hand me that blindfold!" But before she could put the blindfold on, 

Anderson Cooper once again interrupted.

"Sorry everyone. Time's up."

Maria groaned. "How much do you get paid for saying that? Because you sure have said that to us a lot."

Anderson laughed. "Don't you know it's rude to ask someone how much money they make? Okay, lie down everyone."

"What?" Isabel asked.

"Lie down in a circle," Anderson repeated. "For the next challenge." They groaned, but followed his 

instructions. "Now put all your feet towards the middle, so you form a platform."

"I assume there's a good reason for this," Maria said. "Right?"

Anderson leaned down and picked up a large ball from the ground. "I will put this ball on your feet, and one by one, you each will have to take off your shoes. You get three minutes, and if the ball drops, you lose." 

Isabel groaned. "I knew I shouldn't have worn heels today! I'll take my shoes off first." She took her feet from the ball, the spiky heel nearly knocking the ball down.

"Careful!" Kyle warned.

"My turn," Amy said. She was wearing slip on sandals that came off easily. Jim didn't have it as easy.

"Double knots," he explained. "I guess they weren't a good idea."

Michael and Maria's shoes came off easily, but Tess managed to hit her head with one of her sandals.

"Are you okay?" Kyle asked, as he began to pull off his own shoes.

"I thinks so," Tess called back.

Liz and Alex both managed to get their shoes off in record time, and they finished the task with thirty seconds spare."

"Good job," Anderson congratulated him. "You won thirty thousand on these challenges, giving you a pot of--"

"Seventy thousand," Alex interrupted. "I told you. We can do the math ourselves."

Anderson laughed. "Are you sure you don't want to be the host?" Alex blushed and shook his head. "The rest of the day is yours," he told the group. "The van's will take you back to the hotel. Be ready for your next challenge tomorrow morning."

Within minutes, the group was arriving at an elegant hotel, located in downtown Hamburg. They were met by a valet and several bellhops. Maria shook her head as her bags were taken out of her hands. "I could used to this." A sudden thought crossed her mind. "Michael, do you still paint?"

Michael was surprised and a little guarded. "Why?"

"Artists can make good money, right? I want to live in style."

Amy came up behind them. "Did I miss the wedding?" she asked dryly. "Last time I checked, I was the one supporting you, Maria."

Maria frowned. "True. *You* can become a famous artist then."

Nearby Tess and Kyle were in deep conversation.

"Come on, Tess, you must have *some* idea who the Mole is," he persisted. "Couldn't you just--?" Kyle waved his hand around, trying to indicate the alien powers.

"We promised not to do that. Besides, I'd rather figure it out on my own."

Kyle frowned. "Does that mean I have figure it out on my own, too?"

"Sorry, Buddha boy, but if I won't do your homework for you, then I definitely won't do this for you either." 

Tess gave him one last smile and then headed to her room. Kyle sighed and headed back downstairs to the bar that seemed an obligatory part of every German hotel. He found an empty table and ordered a Pepsi.

"Hey, Kyle." Alex came up to him. "Hope that isn't a beer."

"No, I just haven't had much taste for alcohol after what happened the last time I drank." He looked down at his Pepsi and sighed. "Too bad. Germany's legal drinking age is 16."

"I feel your pain." Alex sympathized. "Me, I prefer to be in complete control of myself, so no drinking. 

Besides, I have to be alert to catch signs of the Mole."

Kyle brightened. "Any clues to share? Tess won't discuss it with me."

"She won't?" Alex took a small notebook out of his pocket and wrote it down. 

"What are you doing?" Kyle asked curiously.

Alex grinned. "Anytime anyone does or says anything suspicious I write it down."

"Can I take a look?"

Alex shrugged. "Go ahead."

Kyle took the notebook and began flipping through it. "Sheriff-- long time fixing car. Kyle and Tess-- long time getting oil." He looked up. "Hey!"

Alex laughed. "Come on, Kyle. Everyone's a suspect."

Kyle shook his head and continued reading. "Tess-- only one to understand German. That's suspicious?"

"No, just worth remembering."

"Isabel- got alphabet wrong, Michael- missed room, Michael/Maria- lock problems...." Kyle's voice trailed off as he flipped through the remaining pages. "So does any of this tell you who the mole is?"

Alex sighed. "No. Basically it tells me that everyone's doing suspicious things, even me."

Kyle laughed. "And apparently I am, too." He held the book up.

"Oh, well. At least it will help with those questions. What color of shoes was the mole wearing on the first day? I don't even know what color of shoes I was wearing on the first day! I don't even know what color of shoes I'm wearing today." He glanced under the table. "Oh. White. What a crazy color!"

Kyle shook his head. "I thought for sure I was going to be the one kicked off. I had no idea on most of them, so I started guessing randomly."

"I don't think Max even tried."

Kyle sobered. "He didn't want to be in the game. Liz either." He paused. "You know, I never thought I 

would say this, but I wish those two would work things out."

Alex nodded his agreement.

Across the hotel, Liz and Maria were having a similar discussion. "I can't, Maria. I won't be responsible for all that destruction."

"Look, Liz. The future Max came back to *change* the future. Everything's different now."

"You don't know that," Liz protested. 

"Come on. How many episodes of Star Trek have I watched? I *know* my time travel."

"Maria, Star Trek isn't even real!"

Maria immediately clamped her hands over her ears and started humming loudly. "I can't hear you!"

"Even if what you're saying is true, Max and I have grown so far apart that I don't know if we'll ever be able 

to be close again."

"Look at me and Michael. We fight all the time, but we still lo-- like each other."

Liz sighed. "I just can't, Maria. Not now, when everything's changing. I didn't even want to come."

"Okay, Lizzie. I won't bring it up again. Just promise me to never give up on you and Max."

"I never have," Liz said softly.

Isabel woke up the next day and immediately looked out the window. The sky was overcast with clouds. 

"Great," she muttered to herself. "It's going to rain." Her gaze moved to the look at the clock. She gasped. It already 8:30 and the next task was going to start at nine. She groaned as she started frantically rummaging through her suitcase. "Dirty... dirty... wrinkled...aha!" She pulled out a black T-shirt and some black jeans. Isabel looked at them and shrugged. Black was always in fashion, right? She was still trying to pull her hair back in a bun, when she heard a knock at the door. She let out a groan as her hair once again tumbled from the head. "Who said my hair had to be back all the time?" she decided and went over to open the door.

"Hey, you have your hair down. You look great." It was Alex of course.

Isabel permitted herself a small smile. "Don't be ridiculous, Alex. I overslept. I didn't even have time put on any makeup!"

Alex smiled. "Isabel, I don't think you could ever manage to be anything other than drop dead gorgeous."

Isabel smiled again; a real one this time. "Thank you, Alex. That means a lot to me." For an instant their eyes met, but Isabel soon felt her cheeks heating and looked away. "Let's go," she said abruptly.

Alex shrugged. "As you wish." 

They were the last to arrive. Maria raised her eyebrows at Alex. "What were you doing up there?"

Alex shot her a look. "Isabel overslept. We're not late, are we?"

"No," Anderson Cooper said. "You're right on time."

"Wait, don't tell me." Alex interrupted. "You can't tell us about the next challenge until we travel somewhere."

Anderson shrugged. "I don't make the rules. Out to the van, everyone."

Maria groaned as she climbed into the van. "Home sweet home."

"Yet it doesn't quite measure up to the Jetta," Michael replied.

Amy shook her head. "Maybe I should just give that car to you, Michael. You spend more time driving it than Maria does."

Michael brightened. "Wow, thanks Ms. DeLuca!"

Maria hit him. "She was joking, idiot!"

Within minutes the group was on the site of their next challenge. They found themselves staring at a huge stone wall.

Maria groaned. "Don't tell me we have to climb that wall!"

"Okay," Anderson said. "I won't tell you. But you still have to do it." His voice became more authoritative as he went on to describe the task. "This is an obstacle course. As Maria has pointed out, the wall is the first portion. All of you will have to scale it. Next is a large river you must swim across. After the river is a series of underground caves. In the caves is a large chasm that you will have to cross. Don't worry, there's a small footbridge. Once you make it out of the caves, you'll find yourselves back at the river. This time you'll have to swing across on a rope we erected. After that, you'll only have to climb a rope structure to reach the finish line."

"So how do we win?" Michael asked.

"And how much?" Alex added.

Anderson smiled. "This one's worth $50,000 dollars. As for how you win... we decided to make it a little more interesting this time. Instead of running against the clock, you'll have to beat another team."

"Who?" Tess wanted to know.

"The best baseball team in the majors-- the Seattle Mariners!"

Michael choked. "All of them?"

Anderson laughed. "No, not all, Michael." He raised his voice. "Come on out, boys!" One by one, the baseball players filed out. Anderson introduced them in turn. "Bret Boone, Gil Meche, Dan Wilson, Mike Cameron, Scott Podsednic, Mike Cameron, Charles Gipson, David Bell, and the outfielder known simply as Ichiro. As you can see, there are nine of them to match the nine of you. Remember that each team has to stay together throughout the entire challenge or you forfeit. The challenge will begin now!"

The two teams rushed towards the wall. The Seattle Mariners immediately began scaling it, but the Roswellians weren't quite as quick. Isabel hung back a bit.

"I hate heights!" she yelled.

Michael glanced back at her from his perch at the top of the wall. "Come on, Izzy, if Bret Boone can do it, so can you," he said, knowing she found the Mariner's second baseman attractive."

Isabel stuck her tongue out him, but moved over to the wall, anyway. Alex followed her. "Here, I'll give you a boost," he offered. Alex lifted her up to Michael.

"Don't drop me!" Isabel pleaded, as Michael helped her land softly on the other side.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Alex asked, as he leaped from the wall.

"Ow!" Maria screamed as she landed from her jump off the wall. "I think I twisted my ankle!"

"Really?" Michael asked. 

"No, you idiot! I'm lying!" Maria hopped over to a large rock, to wait for the others to scale the wall. 

Finally they were all on the right side.

"On to the river!" Kyle announced leading the way.

"Are you going to be all right?" Michael asked Maria quietly.

She nodded. "I think so. Just help me to the river." Maria put her arm around him and hobbled down to the river.

"Um, guys?" Tess said, as she stared down into the swiftly moving river. "I didn't want to tell you this, but I can't swim."

Alex groaned. "First Maria sprains her ankle, now this!"

"We didn't exactly do it on purpose, Alex," Tess snapped.

"Temper, temper, Tess," Kyle murmured. "Just jump on my back. I can carry you across."

"Are you sure?" Tess asked. "I may be small, but I do weigh something."

"Trust me," was all Kyle said. Within minutes, the two were crossing the river, Tess clinging tightly to Kyle's back. The others followed close behind. On the other side of the bank, they shook out there clothes and wrung out their hair.

"Oh well," Amy said practically. "It's going to rain anyway." She pointed towards the darkened sky.

Isabel shook her head. "I guess it's a good thing I didn't put on any makeup. It wouldn't have lasted!"

Tess was shivering. "Remind me never to do that again! I'm now cold and traumatized."

"Ah, poor baby," Kyle said, as he wrapped his arms around her. Tess looked surprised, but pleased.

"Where are the Mariners?" Michael asked.

Jim pointed down the river, where Ichiro was emerging from the water.. "I guess baseball players aren't used to swimming."

"Then let's go!" Maria said excitedly, pulling Michael to the cave.

"Is your ankle all right?" Amy asked.

"Yes. Believe it or not, all that cold water helped!"

Maria reached the cave first and took a step inside to peer around. "It's big," she announced. "I count three 

different passageways."

The others filed in behind her. Liz gave an involuntarily shudder. "I hate caves."

Tess shivered. "It's even colder in here."

Michael shook his head at them. "Come on, cheer up gang. We need to get moving. I hear the Mariners coming now."

"Fine, wise leader," Kyle said. "Which way do we go?"

Michael shrugged. "I don't know. Let's try that one." He pointed to the tunnel on his right."

After walking for a couple of minutes , they came to another division. This time Maria chose their pathway. Unfortunately this one dead ended.

Michael groaned. "We'll never win this way!"

"What's your obsession with winning?" Liz snapped. "Let's just get out of here!" She boldly strode away from him, heading back to the last division. The others exchanged confused glances. Sweet Liz rarely displayed any anger at all. 

"Might as well follow her." Alex decided.

Before long, the group came to a wide chasm. The only visible way across was a small footbridge, barely large enough for one person.

Isabel groaned. "More heights!"

Kyle grinned. "Guess you'll have that fear conquered by the time this game is over."

One by one they crossed the footbridge. Despite Isabel's shaking, they all safely reached the other side of the chasm.

"Onward!" Michael shouted, rushing in front of Liz. He soon emerged into the sunlight.

Amy followed behind him. She frowned. "Yuck, it's raining!"

"Come on, come on, come on!" Maria urged. "There's no time to waste."

"River again, right?" Isabel asked.

Tess moaned. "No more water!"

"No, we have that rope to swing across, remember?" Kyle told her.

"Oh, yeah, that makes me feel a lot better," Tess said sarcastically.

Despite her protests, Tess had no trouble crossing the river. Instead it was Amy who fell and twisted her ankle on the muddy ground.

"Ouch," Amy yelled, clutching her ankle. 

"You hurt your ankle, too?" Michael asked. "You and Maria really are alike!"

"Please don't joke around, Michael, or I'll never let you see her again!"

"Sorry," Michael said immediately, even though he suspected she was joking.

The Sheriff was helping Amy to her feet. "Are you going to be all right?"

Amy, her face drawn with pain, nodded. "Look, the Mariners are beating us!"

The rest of the group turned to look. The Mariners were climbing the rope structure Anderson described. 

"We better hurry!" Alex exclaimed.

Unfortunately, they were too late. Alex hadn't even reached the ground, when the final Mariner crossed the finish line.

Anderson greeted the dejected Roswellians when they finally arrived. "Sorry guys, you don't win the money."

Bret Boone spoke up. "Do we get the money?"

"Sorry, Bret," Anderson replied, "but I don't think an All Star like you needs any extra cash."

He turned his attention back on the contestants. "The next execution is tomorrow night. Be ready."

It was a saddened group that arrived back at the hotel that afternoon.

"They had the advantage." Alex grumbled. "They're *used* to the rain. They're from Seattle!"

Tess laughed at him. "It doesn't rain *that* much there, Alex!"

"Well, it rains more in Seattle than in Roswell."

"Anyone up to some shopping?" Isabel asked.

"I'm too depressed to shop," Maria responded, slumping down on a chair in the hotel lobby and picking up a magazine. She frowned. "It's in German!"

"It is Germany," Michael pointed out.

Maria shrugged. "I didn't feel like reading anyway. Anyone want to go on a walk with me?"

"In that?" Amy asked, pointing at the darkened sky. Amy had her ankle propped on a table. The hotel doctor had told her that it was a very mild sprain and should be fine by the morning.

"It matches my mood."

Liz stood up. "Might as well." The two best friends left the hotel.

"It's really pouring out here," Maria commented. 

Liz sighed. "Maria, would you be upset if I left the game?"

"What do you mean?" Maria demanded. "How can you just leave the game?"

"Not answering any of the questions should do the trick."

"Lizzie!" Maria spun to face her, hands on her hips. "You've never deliberately lost anything in your life!"

"This is different. I put so much space between me and the rest of the group this summer that I barely 

belong anymore."

"That's not true. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't even *be* a group. Michael would still be that scary guy from the wrong side of town and Max would be the guy who spent all his time staring at you."

"I can't stop thinking about Max," Liz confessed. "It's just ruining this whole game for me. Maybe if I lose, we'll have a chance to talk."

Maria sighed. "I don't agree with it, but I understand. Since you're leaving... any ideas on who the mole is?"

Liz laughed and shook her head. "Maria, my mind is so far from the game that I couldn't tell you who the mole was if my life depended on it!' Maria laughed and dropped the subject. The rest of the walk passed in the friendly silence that only exists between best friends.

True to her word, Liz was the next execution. Before she left, Maria gave her a big hug.

"Promise to try to work things out with Max?" she whispered.

Liz nodded. "I can't live like this anymore."

The eight remaining contestants returned to their hotel rooms to pack for the next days journey. The Mole stayed up late. There were tough challenges coming up tomorrow, and the Mole had to be ready for them.


	3. Chapter Three

Title: Rosmole (3/10)

Author: Kata

E-mail: katayla@juno.com

Disclaimer: Roswell's not mine, The Mole's not mine... I don't own much, do I?

Rating: PG

Notes: *sigh* Once again, I find myself apologizing for a late part. July was really busy at work and August wasn't any better. The parts should be coming out more reguarly, but school starts again soon, so that's going to mess up my schedule. 

.

******

Ten friends playing for up to one million dollars. Among them a saboteur, a traitor, the mole. The winner? The one who answers the question, who is the mole?

It was nearing dawn on the seventh day of the game, when Maria woke to see her room full of people. "What?" she mumbled, not fully awake.

"Sh!" A tall women hushed her. "You're being kidnapped."

"Should I be worried?" Maria asked sleepily.

The women laughed. "It's all part of the game. Go back to sleep. It'll be all right."

Maria nodded and promptly fell asleep. A couple of hours later, she woke to find herself in a cave. Next to her, Michael was curled up, still asleep, clad only in sweatpants and a T-shirt. She poked him.

"Rise and shine, Spaceboy!"

Michael groaned. "Go away, Maria." He suddenly sat up. "Maria!"

Maria nodded. "Yep! I think this is the next challenge."

"It's too early for a challenge!" Michael lay back down.

"Michael!"

Michael sat up. "Fine, fine, I'm up," he said grumpily. "What's the challenge?"

Maria shrugged. "I don't know. I woke up when they moved us, but they just told me to go back to sleep."

"And you listened?"

"I was tired!" Maria looked at her surroundings. "It looks like we're in a cave. Oh! What's that?" She pointed at a piece of paper, pinned to the opposite wall.

Michael walked over to read the paper. "You have been kidnapped! There is no one to rescue you. If you can free yourself and be back at the hotel by ten, you will receive ten thousand dollars. If your friends are all there, you will receive fifty thousand dollars. PS-- Yes, you have to do this challenge in your pajamas!" 

Michael shook his head. "They're crazy."

"What time is it?" Maria asked.

Michael glanced down at his watch. "Eight."

"Two hours." Maria bit her lip. "Will that be enough?"

Michael shrugged. "We can only try."

Maria shrugged. "Come on, let's go!" She grabbed him by the hand and started pulling him toward the cave exit.

"Where are we going?" Michael asked.

"Out, of course."

"Yes, but where is that?" 

Maria stomped her feet, as she glared at her boyfriend. "Just follow me. I'll get us out!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Michael saluted her. He trailed behind Maria as she raced through the various caverns and pathways. Suddenly she stopped. "What's wrong?"

"I think we're lost," Maria admitted.

Michael smirked. "I could have told you that, Earthgirl."

"More lost than we were before, I mean. I wish Lizzie was here-- well, not really, because she doesn't want to be, but she got us out of the cave before, so maybe she could--"

Michael quickly silenced her with a kiss.

"Thanks, I needed that." Maria stepped back from him. "Now what?"

Michael shrugged. "You're the one who decided she knew where she was going."

"And now it's your turn!"

"Oh no, you got us in this mess, *you* get us out!"

Maria frowned at him. He frowned back. "Fine!" she fumed. "Let's go. We can argue just as well walking as 

we can standing still." Before long, they came to yet another division of the path. "Which way?"

Michael reached into his pocket. "Flip a coin?"

"That's so unscientific!'

Michael shrugged. "You got a better idea? Besides, we're not Max and Liz, we don't have to be scientific."

Coin duly flipped, the bickering couple moved down the right corridor. "This isn't going to work, Michael. We'll be lost in the caves forever, wandering around for the rest of our lives."

"Don't be silly. They'll come looking for us-- eventually." Michael flashed an evil grin at Maria.

She hit him. "Michael! You could at least say something to make me feel better!"

"I thought we decided I wasn't good at that."

"Oh, right. Here's another fork in the road. Flip your coin."

"Fork in the road?" Michael asked incredulously.

"Just flip the coin, Spaceboy."

"Left!" Michael announced and the two walked off.

After fifteen more minutes of walking, Maria noticed something. "Hey, I think it's getting lighter! Maybe we're near the exit."

"Told you the coinflipping would work," Michael said smugly.

Maria broke off in a run. "Look! I see the exit."

"Maria! Wait for me!" Michael sprinted after her. Soon the two came blinking into the morning sunlight.

"We made it!" Maria cheered, throwing her arms around Michael.

Michael took at step back. "Careful, Maria! You want to knock me over?"

"We just need to get back to the hotel, now. Come on!" Maria starting walking down the street. Michael mutely followed her, not even bothering to ask if she knew where she was going.

A couple of hours earlier....

"Alex! Wake up!" Isabel said sharply.

"Hm?" Alex groaned, blinking his eyes. "Izzy? What are you doing in my bedroom? I mean, hotel room?" 

He took a look at his surroundings. "I mean, wherever we are? Where are we?"

Isabel shrugged. "I don't know. I just woke up. I think it's part of the next challenge." 

"I certainly hope so," Alex said, looking around at the small room he and Isabel were in. "Shouldn't there be note or something?"

Isabel glanced around the room. "Oh, it's on that table. I'll get it." She read it quickly. "We have until ten to get to the hotel." She glanced at her watch. "Two hours."

"For how much money?" Alex asked idly, wandering to a window.

"Ten thousand per couple. Fifty thousand if we all get there."

"Isabel?" Alex suddenly said.

"What?"

"Look outside."

Isabel took a glance at the window and quickly stepped back again. "Not more heights!" They seemed to be in a tower, far above the ground.

"It'll be all right," Alex said, gently touching Isabel's arm.

Isabel swallowed and nodded. She stepped back to the window. "Maybe we can see the hotel from here." 

She gripped the windowsill tightly.

"I think I see it," Alex announced after a couple of minutes. "Look over there."

Isabel nodded. "I think you're right." She stepped back from the window and looked around the room once more. "Now how to get out?"

"Through the door?" Alex suggested.

Isabel shuddered. "It leads right outside, Alex. It's bad enough just to be this high."

Alex looked out the window. "There's a staircase leading down the tower."

"But it's outside." Isabel bit her lip, looking oddly vulnerable. 

Alex looked at her. "Heights really scare you, don't they?" He moved over to put his arm around Isabel.

"I'll be right here, okay? Let's just take this slowly." 

Alex moved over to the doorway. "It's locked, of course!" he groaned.

"Does it have a keyhole?" Isabel asked, coming to stand by Alex. "Maybe we could pick the lock."

"With what?" Alex asked, glancing around the empty room.

"With a hairpin, of course. A girl never leaves home without one." Isabel reached into her pocket-- only to discover she was still wearing her red silk pajamas. Her face fell. "Except when she's kidnapped."

Alex put an arm around her. "It's okay. We'll find a way out. There has to be a way. Maria made me watch this show every week. There's *always* a way to win, only sometimes it's harder than others."

"Maybe the key is hidden in here," Isabel said hopefully, looking once more around the small room.

"It's worth a try. I'll check the table. You look for secret compartments."

Isabel gave him a withering look. "This isn't Nancy Drew, you know."

"Come on, Iz. The producers set this all up."

Isabel didn't look convinced, but she moved to the wall anyway, and began tapping it. "This isn't working!"

"Just be patient." Alex straightened up. "Well, there's nothing on this table. I guess I'll help you check the 

wall." He moved next to Isabel and the two searched on, pushing and prodding the wall, looking for a clue of some sort.

Finally, even Alex had to give up. "So much for that brilliant idea."

Isabel gave him a half-hearted smile. "It was worth a try."

"I don't get it," Alex muttered, half to himself. "It can't be insoluble." Half-heatedly, he began searching the 

wall again. "Wait a sec! I found something!" Excitedly he pushed at the wall, revealing a secret compartment. "I thought you checked here!"

"I thought I did, too. I must not have reached high enough."

Alex reached into the hole and grabbed an object. "It's the key! Come on!" He rushed to the opposite side of the room and opened the door.

Isabel hesitated. "I hate this," she said to no one, before stepping onto the stairs that hung hundreds of feet from the ground. "Slow down, Alex!" Isabel called, a touch of panic in her voice. Alex was racing down in the stairs.

Alex looked back up at her. "Here, take my hand."

"No, I'm okay. Just-- don't go so fast!"

Slowly, the two made it down the stairs, neither bothering to check the time or realizing just how far away from the hotel they were.

In yet another part of town....

"Amy! Amy!" Jim Valenti called urgently.

"Just a minute, Maria." Amy groaned.

"I'm not Maria," Jim said, amused.

At the sound of his voice, Amy opened her eyes up. "No, you're a much better sight to wake up to." She glanced around. "Not the most romantic get-away, but it works." She and the sheriff were in a small room with no discernible entrance or exit.

"It's the next challenge." Jim handed her the note describing the challenge's rules. "Seems simple enough."

"Simple?" Amy raised her eyebrows. "And just *how* do you plan to get out of this room?"

"Through the door?" Jim suggested. He looked around the room. "Oh."

"Told you so."

Jim stood up and began walking around the room. "They got us in here, so there must be a way out." He ran 

his fingers against the wall. 

"What are you doing?" Amy asked. 

"Checking for cracks. No matter how well hidden a door is, there will be a crack between it and the wall." 

Amy watched him impatiently. He circled the room once and then again. When he began a third circuit, she groaned loudly. "This isn't working!"

Jim barely glanced at her. "There must be an exit."

Amy sighed. "Jim, did you ever consider that the wall is *not* the only surface in this room?" She gestured at the floor.

Jim blinked. "Have you ever considered being a deputy?" he asked.

"Nah. I'm afraid I'd have to arrest my own daughter."

Jim smiled wryly. "I know the feeling." His search moved to the floor. He glanced up at Amy. "Want to give me a hand? My knees aren't what they used to be." 

After a thorough search of the floor, Jim sat back on his feet. "Nope." He looked up. "It's got to be the ceiling."

"The ceiling! Jim, that must be twenty feet high!" 

"More like ten or twelve. I'll hold you up."

Amy looked uncertain, but managed to climb onto Jim's shoulders.

"Oof! Do you know how long it's been since I've carried a girl on my shoulders?"

Amy wobbled precariously. "Do you know how long it's been since a guy has carried me on his shoulders?" 

She tentatively reached up to the ceiling. "I'm not sure if I really not what I'm looking for," she commented.

"You'll know if you find it," Jim responded. "Just look for any part of the ceiling that's not as smooth or just feels different."

After a few minutes, Amy let out a squeal of excitement. "I found it!" she chuckled ruefully. "I sound like Maria, don't I?"

Jim grinned. "Yep."

Amy's attention went back to the wall. "Now how do I get it open," she murmured to herself, poking and prodding the ceiling with her fingers. Suddenly the door swung downwards, hitting her in the head. "Ouch!"

"Are you all right?" Jim asked, trying unsuccessfully to smother his laughter."

"Yes! Stop laughing!" Amy began hitting Jim-- not an easy task when you're balancing yourself on someone's shoulders.

After Jim had stopped laughing and Amy stopped hitting him, their attention returned to the game. "Let's see," Jim mused. "I think I can lift you up through the door."

"And how do you plan to get out?" 

"Let's work on getting you out first." He held tightly onto Amy's feet while she slowly stood on his shoulders, reaching for the open hole.

"Okay, I'm going to try to pull myself up." With a lot of moaning and groaning, Amy managed to get herself though the hole.

"What's up there?" Jim called out.

"A roof!" was Amy's muffled reply. She peeped down into the hole. "Coming out?"

"Not until I learn to fly," Jim retorted gesturing at the large space between him and the ceiling.

"Oh, did I mention there was a ladder here?" Amy asked sweetly. 

Within minutes, Jim was out of the room and the two adults were on their way to the hotel.

One last pair....

Kyle sat watching Tess with a smile on his face, waiting for her to wake up. She always knew when he was 

there.

"Stop staring at me." Tess didn't even open her eyes. "How'd you get into my hotel room anyway?"

"Open your eyes," Kyle suggested.

Tess opened her eyes to look into the empty sky. "What?" she asked. Tess sat up, only to discover that she 

was in a boat, surrounded by what seemed like miles of open water.

Kyle waved a piece of paper in front of her. "Our next challenge."

"Leaving us in a boat in the middle of nowhere? Isn't that illegal? We could drown." Tess quickly skimmed the note. "I suppose it would be too much to wish for an oar."

"Sorry, nothing but this note." Kyle looked around apprehensively. "I've never been in a boat."

"You haven't?" Tess' voice was incredulous. 

"Roswell's not exactly next to the ocean."

"I know, but-- I love the water! I used to go kayaking whenever I was near water."

"Great, but does that help us now?"

Tess wiggled her fingers at him. "First boating lesson. When no oars are available, use your hands." She 

reached down in the water, paddling the boat forward. To Kyle's surprise, it actually worked. "Start doing this on the other side. Otherwise we'll go in circles."

Kyle followed her suggestion. "Hey, we're good!"

"We'll have to start a rowing team at West Roswell," Tess said.

"Yeah!" Kyle said enthusiastically. Then he frowned. "Too bad we don't live near any water."

Tess laughed. "It's okay, Kyle. You play enough sports for anyone."

"You should know. You stole all my jerseys."

"Borrowed, Kyle, the word is borrowed."

"Right, Tess. You took my football jersey the first week you moved in and I haven't seen it since."

"I'll give it back," Tess responded. "When football season begins"

Kyle reached down into the water and splashed water at Tess.

Tess sputtered. "Stop it, Kyle! You're messing up my hair!"

"I'm messing up your hair?" Kyle repeated is disbelief. "Tess, you slept on that hair. Trust me, I'm not making it any worse than it already is."

Tess' jaw dropped. "Kyle, you don't say that to a girl!" she splashed him.

"Hey, now you're messing up my hair!" Kyle protested, just before the two started an all-out water fight. 

"No! Kyle, we really have to stop!" Tess shrieked, as Kyle moved from splashing to tickled. "We're in the middle of a challenge."

Kyle grimaced. "Right. Back to work." He returned to 'paddling' the boat. (but not before splashing Tess one last time.)

Despite their water fight, Tess and Kyle made good time, and were pulling up to shore in a little under an 

hour.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Tess urged Kyle, jumping from foot to foot. 

"I'm coming" Kyle climbed out of the boat. Tess grabbed his hand and began running. "Tess, do you have 

any idea where we're going?"

Tess groaned. "How many times do I have to tell you? I'm *good* with directions. And we're far away from the hotel. We have to hurry if we want to make it on time!"

Since Kyle had no idea where they were, he decided he better shut up. He followed meekly behind Tess up and down a series of streets and alleys. A couple of times, he could have sworn they were going in circles, but, sure enough, they ran up to the hotel in exactly forty minutes.

"Made it!" Tess cheered as they walked into the lobby. Amy and Jim jumped up to great them.

"You made it!" Amy enthused, while Jim gave Kyle a high five.

"Where's everyone else?" Kyle asked, glancing around the empty room.

Amy frowned. "Not here yet. We just got here a couple of minutes ago."

"This is the part of the challenges I hate," Tess said. "Waiting. How many minutes do we have?"

"Ten," Jim answered tersely.

Nine minutes later, Michael and Maria rushed into the hotel, hand-in-hand.

"Did we make it?" Maria gasped between breaths.

"Just in time!" Kyle gave Michael a high five.

Maria was looking around the room. "Where are Alex and Isabel?"

Amy shook her head. "Not here yet."

Jim was watching his watch. "That's it. They're late."

Michael frowned. "We lost."

"No, we just didn't win as much as we could have," Maria corrected.

"Must you be such an optimist?" Michael demanded.

"Must you be such a pessimist?" Maria retorted.

Amy rolled her eyes. "Teenagers!"

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Parents!"

Ten minutes later, Alex and Isabel entered the lobby.

"I'm sorry, Alex," Isabel was saying. "I could have sworn that restaurant was on our street."

She looked upset. "I lost it for us."

Alex had his arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. What's ten thousand dollars between friends?"

Michael stood up to greet them. "Yeah, besides, we all made it. That's thirty thousand anyway."

"See," Alex said comfortingly. "That's a hundred thousand already."

"Yeah," Maria chimed in. "Besides, I'm going to win all the money anyway."

"Oh you are, are you?" Michael asked.

"Yep!"

"Well, we'll just have to see about that!" Michael leaned over to tickle Maria.

"No! Michael! Stop it! Help!"

Anderson Cooper walked into the room. He looked down at the screaming Maria. "I take it you're not too upset about losing the money?"

Maria straightened up. "Sorry, Anderson. That dork over there decided to bother me."

"And you know what they say when a boy teases a girl...."

"Mom!"

"Anyway," Anderson brought his hands together. "You did make thirty thousand dollars. That's good."

Isabel sighed. "I suppose so."

"And you get the rest of the day off. Next challenge is tomorrow. And we don't have to travel for once."

Michael grinned. "Ah... but I love that van."

"Right, Michael." Anderson shook his head and left the room.

Michael turned to his friends. "What do you want to do?" he asked. "And if you say shop...."

"Shop?" Maria suggested. At Michael's withering glance, she shrugged. "Sorry, Spaceboy. I couldn't resist."

"We could go boating," Jim suggested. "I think you can rent canoes through the hotel."

Kyle groaned. "Sorry, Dad, but I've had enough of boats for a while."

Tess smiled at him. "Poor baby."

"Cave exploring?" Amy suggested.

Maria made a face. "Nope. I've got my fill of caves."

"Come on," Tess urged. "We're in Germany! We have to do something fun."

Isabel yawned. "Sorry guys, but all I want to do right now is sleep. That challenge deprived me of my beauty sleep."

"That sounds like a really great idea," Maria said, staring longingly at the stairs that led to her hotel room. 

She gave Michael a quick kiss. "See you later. Coming, Tess? Mom?"

Michael stared at the departing girls. "Why do I have the feeling they're going to talk about us?"

"Because they're girls and they just left together," Alex answered. "Trust me. I have a ton of experience with girls. You really don't want to know what they talk about." His face had a pained expression on it.

Kyle nodded. "Trust me. Tess tries to get girlie on me sometimes." He shuddered. "I don't want to think about it."

Upstairs, the girls had gathered in Maria's room. "That was an interesting way to do the challenges, wasn't it?" Maria said. "One girl, one guy, in the most interesting combinations."

Isabel laughed. "Come on, Maria, you're making too much about it."

Maria shook her head. "Me and Michael? You and Alex? Kyle and Tess, Mom and the Sheriff... I think Anderson Cooper is a matchmaker!"

"Don't be ridiculous. Kyle and I are like brother and sister," Tess protested.

Maria snorted. "Right and that's why he's lost even the tiniest bit of interest in Liz."

"And Jim says you get pretty close," Amy put in.

Even Isabel joined the fun. "You live in his house. How can you stop feeling attracted to him?"

Tess groaned. "You guys! Personally, I think Isabel and Alex are the newest couple in the group."

Isabel grabbed a bottle of nail polish and began polishing her nails. "Alex and I decided not to go in that direction."

Maria snorted again. "Hate to break it to you, Isabel, but life doesn't work out that way. I've *seen* the way Alex looks at you!"

"And she looks back!" Tess put it.

Amy laughed. "Well, I for one, will admit I'm totally in love with Jim."

Maria made a face. "Which still completely and totally baffles me."

"Me, too!" Tess agreed emphatically.

Amy picked up a copy of Seventeen off Maria's bed and began flipping through it. "Do you actually read this?" she asked her daughter.

Maria glanced over at the magazine. "Teen People's better."

Isabel looked up from painting her nails. "How can you say that? Seventeen has the best make-up tips!"

"Exactly! I'm sorry, but I am not taking the time to experiment with all those ways to 'win a guy's heart.' If Michael doesn't like my make-up the way it is, then he can just leave. I'm sure Tess agrees with me. Right?"

Tess held up her hands. "Don't look at me. I'm a YM fan!"

Amy shook her head. "Next time, I won't ask."

******

For once, the day of the challenge dawned bright and clear, putting all of the contestants into great moods.

"Don't you love this weather?" Maria exclaimed, skipping around the room.

"What weather? We're inside." Michael pointed out.

Maria stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh, come on Michael," she said, gesturing at the window. "Look at all that sun. It's just begging me to come out and play."

"Play the challenge, I hope," Isabel put in.

"Of course! I need to add money to my pot." Maria grinned.

At that moment, Anderson Cooper walked into the room. "Glad to see you're all in such a great mood. Are you ready for your next challenge?"

"Actually, I could use a couple more hours of sleep," Maria answered. When everyone turned to stare at 

her, she shrugged. "Well, it was worth a shot."

"Today is a scavenger hunt," Anderson announced.

Kyle groaned. "Not one of those! The last time I went on a scavenger hunt I had to find an eyelash curler. I 

asked everyone female I could find and never found one."

Tess laughed. "Poor baby. At least now I know what to get for your next birthday."

"I'm afraid there are no eyelash curlers this time," Anderson said. "You'll need to find a bottle of Coca-Cola, 

a glass of beer, a German-Italian dictionary, a book written in English, a bottle of bright green nail polish, the signature of a policeman, the signature of the mayor and a different hat for each person in the group."

Kyle's jaw dropped. "I think I prefer the eyelash curler. How in the world are we supposed to find all that?"

"More importantly, how are we supposed to remember all that?" Alex asked.

"You'll get a list. You can split up for this challenge, but you only have an hour. You get $20,000 per item, 

for a possibility of $160,000. If you're late, any items you found don't count. Your challenge starts now." He 

handed the list of items to Michael.

"Okay," Michael spoke quickly. "I think we all just want to get a started on this challenge, so Isabel and Maria, you do the hats and nail polish. Ms. DeLuca, Sheriff Valenti, you get the dictionary and English book. Kyle and Alex, you work on the signatures, and Tess and I will get the beer and coke. See you all in an hour."

Maria rolled her eyes. "Of course, he takes the beer for himself. Come on, Iz, let's do some shopping." She hooked her arm through Isabel's and led her through the door. "I saw a great little shop while Spaceboy was dragging me through town." The girls stepped outside the hotel onto the busy street.

Isabel sighed. "Sometimes I envy your and Michael's relationship. You just fit so well."

"But you have Alex! He's so sweet. Michael doesn't even know what romantic means."

Isabel smiled. "Yes, but I've never thought of calling him 'earthboy'."

Maria laughed. "I started calling him Spaceboy long before we started our relationship! Besides, Michael and I are different." She paused. "I never really thought about it, but I guess Michael and I hide our feels behind words and you hide yours behind attitude." Maria smiled wistfully. "Sometimes I wish we didn't have to hide our feelings at all."

Isabel looked sad. "Me, too." She changed the subject. "Come on, we have to find the perfect hats for everyone."

A couple of minutes later, they walked up to a store full of every type of hat imaginable. "I knew I saw this!" Maria exclaimed.

Isabel eyed the many hats greedily. "You may never get me out of here," she muttered.

"Me either," Maria breathed. She shook her head. "But challenge first." She reached out to grab a hat. 

"What do you think? Doesn't this just shout 'Alex' to you?" Maria held out a multi-colored "Dr. Suess" hat.

Isabel laughed. "Okay, but if he asks, I had nothing to do with it! Oh, Maria! This one's perfect for you!" She held out a black velvet hat with a large red flower on it.

"I love it!" Maria put that hat on. "My turn." She rummaged through the hats. "Okay, even though we're in Germany, I see you in a black beret."

Isabel donned the hat. "Do I look French?" She stuck a pose.

"Very."

They went back to looking for hats. "Hm..." Isabel mused. "A space helmet for your Spaceboy?"

Maria's jaw dropped. "I can't believe it. You're the best, Isabel!" She grabbed the NASA helmet. "Michael will love it." She paused. "Of course, he'll never admit it."

Isabel laughed. "He's like that, isn't he?"

"Now, I see Kyle in a baseball hat. I think this color would... um... set off his eyes perfectly." Maria pointed out a bright pink hat.

Isabel shook her head. "You're awful, Maria, but I like it. Let's go with Tess. How about a straw hat? Complete with flowers, of course." She took down a straw hat adorned with pink and white flowers."

"Perfect!"

The two girls continued to laugh and joke as the picked the final two hats-- a bright pink cowboy hat for the Sheriff and a matching purple hat for Amy.

As they were making their way to the register, Maria, who wasn't wearing a watch asked Isabel. "How much time do we have?"

Isabel glanced at her watch and gasped. "Fifteen minutes!"

Maria felt like kicking herself. "We should have paid attention to the time!" She glanced out the window. "I see a store across the street. I'll run across and find the nail polish." She jogged out of the store. "I hope you're in good shape! We're going to have to race back to the hotel!"

******

"A book written in English shouldn't be too hard to find," Amy commented.

"Except for the small fact that we're in Germany," Jim pointed out.

"Oh, everyone speaks English," Amy said, with a negligent wave of her hand. "Now we just need to find a bookstore."

Simply finding a bookstore took Amy and Jim nearly half-an-hour. "This place is huge! It has to have what we need." 

"Where do we start?" Jim asked. 

Amy bit her lip. "We could ask someone."

"Do you think they speak English? Because I don't know a word of German."

Amy shrugged. "We can only try." She walked up to a salesperson. "Excuse me, do you have any books 

written in English?"

The man stared at her uncomprehendingly.

"English?" Amy tried again.

The man shook his head. "Ich habe kein Englisch." He walked off.

Amy groaned. "I don't even know what he said."

"I guess we have to try on our own," Jim said doubtfully, looking around at the many shelves packed with books.

The couple moved through the aisles quickly. "Is that in English?" Amy asked. "No. I guess it just has an English title. This is harder than I thought."

"Excuse me," a small dark women stepped up to Jim and Amy. "I couldn't help overhearing. Are you looking for something in particular?" She spoke English well, but with a slight German accent.

"Yes!" Amy cried. "All we need is a book written in English."

"And a German-Italian dictionary," Jim added.

The women smiled. "You're on the wrong side of the store. Here, follow me."

Within minutes, Jim and Amy had the required books and were racing out the door.

"Don't rush," Jim said. "We have plenty of time."

Amy frowned. "That was awfully quick, wasn't?"

"Well, we got lucky, having someone offer to help us."

"Was it just luck? Or the mole?"

"What?" Jim looked confused. "Are you accusing me of being the mole?"

"Yes. No. I don't know." Amy sighed. "This game is making me so paranoid! And you would be so perfect. 

The sheriff, no one would ever suspect you."

Jim laughed. "And what about you? How do I know you're not just accusing me to throw me off track?"

Amy looked puzzled. "I think you lost me, Jim."

Jim shook his head. "I think I lost me, too. You really can't trust anyone in this game, can you?" Just like the 

aliens couldn't trust anyone in their lives, he realized suddenly.

"No. You can't."

******

Across town, Kyle and Alex were desperately trying to find a policeman.

"I've never had trouble finding a policeman before," Kyle grumbled. "When your dad's the sheriff, you can't even speed without having the entire squad pull you over."

"There's an idea! Let's break a law. That'll bring the police to us."

Kyle looked at Alex as if he were crazy. "And give us police records. We could be deported!"

Alex sighed. "Not my best idea." After a couple of minutes, he looked up. "Deported?"

Kyle shrugged. "Well, you know, sent back, whatever." He glanced down the street. "Police! Come on!" He broke into a run.

"Wait up, Kyle!" 

By the time Alex caught up to Kyle, Kyle was already deep in conversation with the policeman. 

"Signature?" he asked, gesturing at the paper. "Alex! Do you know any German?"

Alex shook his head. "We had Spanish together, remember?"

Kyle groaned. "Where's Tess when you need her?"

"Someone here must speak English," Alex said, looking around the busy streets. "I'll start asking people. Don't let him go anywhere!"

"Right," Kyle muttered to himself. "Don't let the policemen go anywhere. Whatever you say." 

Fifteen minutes later, Alex came back with a pretty teenager. "This is Katja. She speaks good English."

"Hi," Kyle said, a little tiredly. It was tough spending fifteen minutes with a stranger you couldn't even talk to.

Katja turned to the policeman and spoke to him in rapid in German. Within minutes, they had secured the policeman's signature.

"Yes! Thank you, Katja!" Kyle exclaimed. "Now we just to need to find the mayor."

"Uh, Kyle? Look at the time. We're going to be rushing to make it back to the hotel as it is."

Kyle's shoulders slumped. "You're right. I hate losing money!"

"Come on!' This time it was Alex who started running.

******

"See? That wasn't so hard," Tess said, coming up to Michael with a glassful of beer.

"Don't drink any," Michael said quickly. He wasn't sure if Tess had any experience with alcohol, but after 

Max's drinking last year, he wasn't about to take any chances.

"Don't worry," Tess reassured him. "Na-- my dad warned me about alcohol. Oh! You know what I just realized?"

"What?"

"We should have gotten the coke first. I don't think we'll be able to walk into any stores carrying beer."

Michael shrugged. "You can wait outside. Or wait, I'll wait outside. You'll need to do the talking." He laughed. "I hope you don't get executed soon. You're the only one of use who can speak any German at all!"

"Growing up on the road does has some advantages."

"Perfect cover for the mole, too," Michael commented.

"Michael!"

"Come on, Tess. It could be anyone. You, me, the Sheriff. Maria."

Tess made a face. "Being the mole would be hard. I have to work hard enough to feel like I fit in with the group." She looked sad.

"Don't worry," Michael said comfortingly. "You'll always fit in with me." He put his arm around Tess' shoulders. "And Kyle!" He added.

Tess smiled, but didn't say anything. "Here's a grocery store. I'm sure they'd have coke." She hurried inside, leaving an impatient Michael staring at his watch.

"Got it!" Tess emerged from the store a couple of minutes later, triumphantly waving the coke over her head.

"All right!" Michael gave Tess a high five, and in the process splashed her with beer. He winced. "Sorry, Tess."

"It's okay," Tess said. "I'll just--" she moved her hand, prepared to use her powers, then suddenly stopped, remember the cameras that tracked there every move. "Change when I get back to the hotel."

Michael nodded in understanding. After the first couple of days, the had all gotten used to the cameras and 

it was hard to remember not to talk about or show their powers within the cameras' range.

Michael and Tess hurried back to the hotel and were soon joined by the rest of the group.

"You're early!" Anderson announced. "I like that. Did you get everything?"

"Not quite," Alex admitted. "Kyle and I couldn't get the mayor's signature."

Anderson nodded. "Did everyone else get everything? Good! That's $120,000 for the pot."

"$220,000," Alex calculated quickly.

Anderson smiled. "Right. Tomorrow, you can sleep in as late as you like, but be ready for the execution tomorrow night. See you all, then!" He left the room, leaving the eight Roswellians alone.

"What happened to you?" Kyle stared at the beer-soaked Tess. 

"Mr. Graceful over there, decided I needed some cooling off." Tess gestured at Michael.

"Sorry, Tess."

"You didn't drink any, I hope," Amy said to Michael.

"Of course not, Ms. DeLuca!" Michael said, with a smirk on his face.

Maria shook her head. "Sometimes I don't know why I even bother."

Jim was staring at the hat Isabel and Maria had chosen for him. "I'm not supposed to wear this, are I?"

"Of course." Maria opened her eyes wide. "It really...um... brings out your eyes."

"I kinda like mine," Michael said, playing with his space helmet.

They laughed and joked for a while, but eventually, they headed off in different directions. 

Tess stood up. "Well, I'm going to my room to change. See you all later."

Michael yawned. "And I need a nap!"

The others also left. Isabel and Maria headed back to the hat shop to do some serious shopping, Jim and Amy went out to the lunch, and Alex and Kyle went off to do some "investigating." The next day was spent lying around the hotel, idly asking each other questions about the mole and trying to avoid thinking about the execution.

"This is going be the hardest one," Maria predicted, as she and Michael made their way to the execution.

"What do you mean?"

Maria shrugged. "It's just Max and Liz didn't really want to play, so they weren't too devastated about leaving. The rest of us want to play."

"Well, if they want to play, then they should know all the answers." Michael said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, yeah?" Maria asked. "Well then, smartly, who's the mole?"

Michael stuck his nose in the air. "I don't need to share my brilliant deductions with you!" he declared.

Maria burst into giggles. "You just don't want to admit you don't know!" She poked him, but instantly sobered as she and Michael walked into the execution. They were the last ones to arrive.

"You know the drill," Anderson said. "A green fingerprint means you stay, a red fingerprint means you go. 

Who wants to go first?"

One by one, the contestants held their breath, as they waited for the TV. screen to tell them their fate. 

Finally, the red fingerprint showed.

"Well," Jim said, doing his best to sound cheerful as he stared at the red fingerprint. "There goes all hope of 

me proving my deceptive skills."

Amy gave him a quick kiss. "I'll miss you," she whispered. For once, Kyle and Maria didn't look embarrassed at their parents' antics.

Jim turned to Kyle and Tess. "You two-- behave yourselves! And be careful," he added in a voice that included the whole group. Slowly, he picked up his bags, and left the area.

The room was silent. Finally, Alex spoke. "I guess we should head back to our rooms and get some sleep."

"Good idea," Anderson commented. "We'll need to do some traveling tomorrow."

The seven remaining contestants slowly made their way to their rooms, happy to have survived the execution, but already missing the sheriff's comforting presence. One by one, they feel to sleep, six worrying about the next day's challenge, and one worrying about how to sabotage the upcoming task.


	4. Chapter Four

Title: Rosmole (4/10)

Author: Kata

E-mail: Katayla@juno.com

Disclaimer: I know something you don't! The Mole and Roswell don't belong to me! Oh . . . you already knew that?

Rating: PG

Summary: The Roswellian version of The Mole continues . . . .

Author's Notes: I've decided to stop making promises about when this fic is coming out. Everytime I think I'm going to get a chance to work on it, real life interferes. 

******

Ten friends playing for up to one million dollars. Among them a saboteur, a traitor, the mole. The winner? The one who answers the question, who is the mole?

By the next day, everyone was rested and ready for the next challenge. First, however, they had to suffer through a two hour car ride.

"Please, Maria," Isabel moaned. "No more singing!"

"Oh come on, Isabel. You can't tell you don't love all these camp songs."

"I never went to camp," Isabel said, "and now I know why!"

Maria pouted. "Fine, then you think of a way to pass the time."

"I was going to paint my nails, but *someone* couldn't take the smell." Isabel glared at Michael.

"I'm sorry, Izzy, but that stuff smells awful."

"What's the point of nail polish, anyway?" Alex asked. "Oooh, my nails are pink!"

Maria rolled her eyes. "It's a girl thing, Alex. You couldn't possibly understand."

Alex slumped back in his seat. "I hate it when she says that."

Just before they all completely lost their tempers, the van pulled up to a large building. They followed Anderson in to find themselves in a large library.

"Where are we?" Michael asked.

"It's a library." Maria explained. "I wouldn't expect you to recognize it."

Michael shot her a withering glance. "I know that! But what's our task?'

"It's simple," Anderson said. "It's a treasure hunt."

"A treasure hunt? Here?" Tess looked skeptically around the library.

Anderson smiled. "A book treasure hunt. Each clue will lead you to a book, where you'll find the next clue. You'll have an hour to complete the hunt." 

"Problem," Alex said. "Won't all the books be written in German?"

Anderson laughed. "We're not that cruel! This library's connected with the US Embassy. All the books are written in English." Anderson handed a piece of paper to Alex. "Here's your first clue. Have fun."

"Read it, read it!" Maria urged, clutching to Alex's arm.

"If you let go of me, I might be able to!" Alex laughed. "Listen up, everyone. 'Another name for Odysseus, this book has been banned numerous times."

"_Ulysses_!" Michael immediately said, and started walking to a shelf.

"Michael's read _Ulysses_?" Alex hissed at Isabel. She shrugged, a puzzled expression on her face. Maria, however, merely smiled and followed Michael.

By the time everyone caught up to Michael, he was already unfolding the next clue. "A fantasy world found by going through a closet."

Kyle shook his head. "Sorry, my literary experience is limited to magazines."

"Yeah, dirty ones," Tess commented. Kyle glared at her. "Sorry, um, closet, right."

"We need Liz back," Maria moaned. "She's the bookworm in the group."

"Or Max," Michael agreed.

"Wait," Tess said. "Closet-- wardrobe-- _The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe!_ Come on!" Tess reached off to another section of the library. "It should be over here." She grabbed a book off the shelf, and begin flipping through it. A piece of paper flew out. "I love the Narnia books. I used to pretend I was Lucy when I was younger, and Na-- my father told me we had to move again. I always hoped that our new home would have a wardrobe in it. Anyway, here's the next clue: a series of nine 'little' books loved by millions of children and based on the author's real life."

"Oh," Amy said. "Those must be the Little House books. Maria and I used to read those together."

Maria smiled at Tess. "I used to pretend I was Laura. Although, I had golden hair, not brown."

Tess smiled, understanding the reference, then turned her attention to the next clue, read by Amy.

"The novelization of a movie whose ratings never sank," Amy announced.

Isabel groaned. "I know what the answer is, but the pun is terrible!"

"What is it?" Kyle asked.

"_Titanic_!" Isabel called over her shoulder, already heading to the bookshelf.

Kyle made a face. "That is a pretty awful pun."

"Here's the next clue. 'This series is about a redhead who loves the letter "e." ' "

Maria burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" he asked.

Maria shook her head. "You'd have to read the books."

"I don't even know what the answer is!" Michael retorted.

"_Anne of Green Gables_, of course!" Tess said, with a flip of her hair and followed Maria to the bookshelves.

"What's up with all the chick books?" Kyle asked.

Alex winced. "You shouldn't have said that."

Maria whirled to face Kyle. "Chick books! That is so stereotypical! The _Anne of Green Gables_ series are great books! For guys, too! I'll get you them for you next birthday."

"Maria? The game?" Michael said, when it seemed safe to talk.

"Oh, right." Maria smiled sweetly at Kyle and returned to the bookshelf.

Kyle looked stunned. "Please don't ever marry my dad," he begged Amy. "I don't think I could live with her."

Amy laughed. "If I can, anyone can!"

Maria ignored both of them. "I found the next clue! 'This classic tells the story of an 'extraordinary man.' " She frowned. "Huh?"

"Classic," Alex repeated. "So we've probably read it in school."

"You might have," Kyle said. "Personally, I've made it my mission in life to make in through high school without reading a single assigned book."

Maria made a face. "You're such a jock."

Kyle made a face back. "Now who's being stereotypical?"

Amy groaned. "They're already acting like siblings!"

Alex tried to bring everyone's attention back to the game. "Come on people. We're supposed to be thinking about the extraordinary man."

Michael snapped his fingers. "That's it! _Crime and Punishment_! We read it last semester in English, remember Isabel?"

Isabel blinked. "Oh, yeah. Raskolnikov."

Maria stared at Isabel. "You forgot a book? I thought you always did your homework?"

Isabel shrugged. "Even us perfect people forget something now and then." She and the rest of the contestants followed Michael to a bookshelf.

Michael had meanwhile found the book. "Found it!" he announced. "This wizard actually lives in England, not Germany."

"Harry Potter!" Maria exclaimed.

"Harry Potter?" Kyle asked.

Maria turned to face him, hands on hips. "Yes, I've read Harry Potter. Want to make an issue over it?"

Kyle held out his hands. "No way. I've learned my lesson. You can read whatever you want."

"Thank you." Maria beamed.

"You're a quick learner," Michael commented. Kyle merely shook his head and smiled.

Within minutes, Maria returned with the next clue. " 'This 18-year old girl solved more cases than most police officers.' "

Kyle laughed. "I know that one! Nancy Drew. My dad's always complaining about unrealistic mystery books. He would never let a teenager help out an investigation!"

Isabel gave Kyle an amused look. "You might want to think about that statement."

Kyle blinked. "Oh, not you guys. You're different."

Tess gave him an odd look. "Thanks. I think."

When the reached the collection of Nancy Drew books, Maria frowned. "I'd forgotten how many of these there were. This is going to take forever!"

"Not really," Michael contradicted. "There's seven of us. It won't take too long."

Michael was right. Isabel found the next clue within minutes. Michael grabbed it from her, and read, " 'One died; one wrote; one was an artist; and the oldest had twins: every little girl should know these four sisters."

"_Little Women_!" Amy, Tess, Maria, and Isabel yelled in unison.

Alex, Michael, and Kyle stared at each other. "Must be a girl thing," Kyle finally said. Fortunately for him, Maria was already out of earshot, running to find the book.

Before they could even reach the bookshelf, the boys heard squealing from the girls.

"We won!" Maria exclaimed. She bounced back to Michael. "Look! A fifty-thousand dollar bill!"

"You do know that's fake, right?" Michael asked, but couldn't help but smile.

Maria rolled her eyes. "Remind me again why I ever dated you."

"Because I'm so cute?" Michael suggested with an impish grin.

"I don't know about that, Michael," Anderson Cooper said wryly, as he walked up to join the group, "but you're definitely winners this time. That brings your group total to--" Anderson looked expectantly at Alex.

"$270,000," Alex answered immediately. "Which doesn't sound nearly as nice when you realize we had a chance for $530,000."

Maria stared. "That much? The mole is better than I thought."

Anderson laughed. "That is the point of the game, isn't it? Good job on this one guys! The next challenge is tomorrow at noon sharp. Until then, I think you've earned yourself a nice long, break."

"I might just stay here," Isabel said, looking at the shelves of books. "It's so nice to see English for a change."

Maria gasped. "Isabel! You're my shopping partner! You can't just abandon me like that."

"Take Tess," Isabel suggested. "I'll catch up with you later."

Maria looked questioningly at Tess. "Want to?"

Tess hesitated, examining the other girl's sincerity. "Do you want me to?"

Maria bit her lip. "I'm not Liz. Yes. I want you to."

Tess' face broke into a grin. "In that case, I'd love to. That is, if Buddha boy will be all right without me?"

"I'm sure I'll survive," Kyle said dryly. 

"And all I want to do is nap," Amy said. "All this running around. You teenagers make feel so old!" She laughed.

"Ah, you're not old, Ms. DeLuca," Michael said, taking her arm. "Come on, I'll go back to the hotel with you."

Maria stared after her departing boyfriend and mother. "What's gotten into Michael?"

"Maybe he's just trying to get on your mother's good side?" Alex suggested.

"He is!" Maria responded. "Well, sort of. The whole finding him in bed with me sort of turned her off for a while." She shook her head. "Come on, Tess. Maybe with someone who speaks German along, I'll actually be able to find some decent clothes!"

Isabel had wandered off to browse, through the books, leaving Kyle and Alex standing alone. "Alex, my man!" Kyle exclaimed. "Just who I wanted to spend my afternoon with!"

"Uh-oh," Alex said. "It doesn't involve anything illegal, does it?"

Kyle laughed. "No, I just want to know what your latest suspicions are. You must have some idea who the mole is."

Alex shook his head. "Really, I don't," he said, walking towards the exit.

Kyle fell into step with him. "Clues? Hints? Suspicious activity?"

Alex shrugged. "The last couple of challenges have been pretty uneventful. My guess is the mole's playing it low for now." He paused. "Except for the obstacle course. That did have some pretty strange stuff going on."

"Like?" Kyle prompted.

"Maria's ankle seemed to heal suspiciously fast. Her mom's was strange, too, but the doctor treated it, so I guess it was real."

"Anything else?"

Alex shrugged. "Liz's finding our way out of the cave so quickly was pretty suspicious, but since she got executed . . ."

Kyle shuddered. "I hate that term."

"Executed?"

"Yeah. Makes me feel like I'm out to get hung."

Alex laughed. "I see your point." The two boys laughed and joked their way back to the hotel.

******

"You don't have to do this," Amy said to Michael. "I'm sure I can make it back to the hotel by myself."

Michael shrugged. "Of course you can. I just wanted to do it." He helped Amy into the waiting car.

"You've changed, haven't you?" 

Michael looked uncomfortable. "How could anyone not, with Maria as a girlfriend?"

Amy looked at him. "No, it's more than that. Even last year, you didn't let her close to you. Trust me. I heard enough complaining about it! Now," her gaze turned thoughtful, "you turn to her even before Max or Isabel."

Michael laughed ruefully. "Don't tell Maria, but I think her plot to turn me into 'the perfect boyfriend' is working."

"Good. I want my daughter to have better than I did." Amy smiled. "Oh, and about the newspaper?"

"Yeah?"

"Sorry. But I'll do it again if I ever catch you near Maria's bedroom!"

"Of course, Ms. DeLuca."

*****

The day of the next challenge was much warmer than the past days had been.

"It's a good thing we found these shorts," Maria said to Tess. "I left all of mine back in Roswell."

"Me, too."

Isabel was teasing Alex unmercifully. "Come on, Alex, noon is early compared to when some of our tasks started."

Alex groaned. "Not if you got up at eleven." He leaned his head down on Isabel's shoulder. "Don't wake me up please."

Isabel shoved him. "Come on, Alex. We need your brains for this task."

At that point, Anderson Cooper walked in. "Late night?" he asked Alex with a grin.

Alex tried to stifle a yawn. "I had all these strange dreams about the mole chasing me."

"Really? Who was it?" Kyle asked with interest.

Alex shook his head. "I never saw who it was."

Anderson smiled. "Good. I wouldn't want the game ruined! Now, the next challenge is a bit more individually based. One by one, you'll each come into the next room and pick a card out of my bag here." Anderson held up a large, bright blue bag. "Each card has a 'dare' on it. You can exchange the card once, but after that you're stuck with your dare. You can refuse it, but," Anderson held up a finger, "four people need to complete their dares to win $50,000. Less than four, and you don't earn any money. And of course, you can't talk to anyone after your turn. Oh, and once someone sees a dare, its out of the game. No one will get the same dare as anyone else."

"There seven of us," Alex murmured. "So that's only a little more than half. Those dares must be harsh." He didn't even lift his head from Isabel's shoulder.

"You'll see," was Anderson's only response. "I don't want to interrupt your rest, Alex, but we're going in alphabetical order."

"Right," Alex said, not moving from his spot. "I'm coming."

Isabel shoved him up off their perch on the couch.

"Thanks." Alex followed Anderson into the next room.

"Ready?"

Alex shrugged. "Why not?" He reached into the bag. "Sing for ten strangers. That shouldn't be too hard." He walked out the door, followed my a camera man.

Anderson scratched his head. "I knew that one was too easy." He walked back to where the others were waiting. "Amy, you're next!"

"Wait, does that mean Alex accepted the dare?" Maria asked. "Since you're back so soon?"

"Either that or he completely refused," Michael muttered, as Anderson and Amy walked out of the room.

******

In the next room, Amy was already picking her dare. "Kiss ten strangers!" she exclaimed. "I don't think so! I just finally got Jim to commit to our relationship. No way am I kissing ten strangers on national TV!"

"Whoa! Calm down!" Anderson held out his hand. "Remember, you can pick again."

"Right." Amy reached into the bag and picked again. "Go blindfolded for a day." She took a deep breath. "Nope. Sorry, I just can't do it."

Anderson nodded slowly. "It's your choice."

******

Isabel was next. "Shave eyebrows! No way! I'm sorry, I know everyone out there in TV land will think I'm just a vain . . . whatever, but I can't shave my eyebrows!"

"TV land?" was Anderson's only comment as Isabel reached into the bag for another dare.

"Walk along ridge of hotel roof." Isabel bit her lip and shook her head. "I can't, Anderson, I just can't." she smiled wanly. "I hate to be a poor sport, but couldn't you guys give me a challenge that doesn't deal with heights for once?"

Anderson shrugged. "Sorry, Isabel. It does seem to have worked out that way."

******

Kyle walked into the room eagerly. "I always loved truth or dare." He reached into the bag. "Walk around in a Speed for the rest of the day." He scratched his head. "Why not? Let's see if all that weight lifting paid off?"

"All right!" Anderson congratulated him. "Go on into the next room. They have a Speed for you."

******

Maria walked into the room apprehensively. "Any chance you'll tell me how many people has taken their dares? Didn't think so. Okay, first dare is . . . ."

"Do you ever stop talking?" Anderson couldn't help but ask.

"Not according to Michael! Swim for five hours straight. Not unless you want to kill me!" Maria said cheerfully. "I have no endurance!" She reached into the bag again. "Of course, this one will probably be worse. Go without talking for the rest of the day." She shook her head, looking disappointed. "I've tried. I honestly can't." She spread her hands out in an apology. "I'm starting to understand the frustration last season's contestants went through." She walked out of the room.

******

Michael was next. "Did Maria talk your ear off?" he asked, with a wicked grin.

Anderson shook his head. "You two make the strangest couple I've ever seen."

"Wear a dress?" Michael said incredulously. "Michael Guerin does not do dresses. I don't care how much money you offer me. I'm picking again." He reached deep into the bag. "Wear a bikini! Trust me, if I'm not going to wear a dress, I'm not going to wear a bikini! I'm sorry if I'm costing the group this task, but . . . I don't dress like a girl!"

******

Tess was the final contestant. For her, the process was slightly different.

"Tess," Anderson said seriously. "Let me be honest with you. Alex and Kyle were the only ones who did their dares. No matter what you do, you won't earn the money." Tess looked disappointed. "Unless . . . ."

"Unless?" Tess questioned eagerly.

"If you do all the dares the others refused, not only will the group earn the money, but you'll earn immunity from the next execution."

Tess looked thoughtful. "I would love to earn that much money for the group . . . ." She shook her head. "But I can't do it. Accepting immunity would be like cheating and I don't want to jeopardize any of my friendships." Not when I'm finally becoming part of the group, Tess added silently to herself.

Anderson smiled. "As much as I like to have my contestants win, I think you're making the right decision. I'll let the others know the outcome of the task. See you at the execution tomorrow night."

Tess nodded. "See you then."

******

Soon after Tess' decision, an indignant group gathered in Michael's hotel room.

"What do you mean you couldn't have worn a dress?" Maria shouted at Michael. "It wouldn't be *that* embarrassing!"

"And what's so hard about swimming or going without talking?" Michael demanded. "Or were you just trying to sabotage the group, *mole*?"

Maria looked shocked. "Take that back!"

"Cool it, you two," Amy said.

Maria groaned. "Come on, Mom. It's not like you did your dares either. Kissing ten strangers wa harsh, I admit, but what's so hard about wearing a blindfold?"

Amy folded her arms across her chest. "What's so hard about going without talking?"

"Hey, stop it!" Kyle broke in. "Look, I'm not exactly happy about this either. I have to go through the whole day like this for no reason." He gestured down at his Speedo. "But we're in this together, right? We're supposed to be a team."

Isabel nodded. "Kyle has a point. I suppose we're all guilty. I refused to face my fears about heights, Maria didn't think she could go without talking-"

"She can't," Michael murmured.

Isabel shot him a look. "And it wouldn't have been that hard for you to wear women's clothes, Michael. Amy didn't want to go without seeing, and Tess . . . what were your dares, Tess?"

Tess looked uncomfortable. "Oh, Anderson let me off easy, since it was obvious we couldn't win." 

"Well, anyway, my point is, we're all guilty. Except for Alex and Kyle."

"I guess so," Maria admitted. "But I want to win!"

Michael laughed. "No kidding. You cheat on Monopoly!"

"I do not!" Maria protested indignantly.

"Then how do you end up with Boardwalk and Park Place every single time we play?" Michael asked witheringly.

"Same way you always win without them!"

Amy shook her head at them. "Sorry, Isabel, but I don't think anything you could say would stop those two from arguing."

Isabel smiled ruefully. "That's all right. I'm used to it by now."

The group dispersed in a predictable fashion. Tess followed Kyle out of the room, teasing him unmercifully about his Speed and threatening to shove him into the pull. Isabel dragged Alex out of the room to go "shopping." She and Maria had made a goal of getting Alex into a ribbed shirt. Amy wandered off to do "research" as she put it, and Maria and Michael stayed in Michael's room, arguing, of course.

******* 

"Trust me, Alex. It looks great," Isabel said for what seemed like the millionth time. "Very sexy."

"I don't know," Alex said doubtfully, staring at the ribbed shirt. "I think I'll stick to my old clothes."

Isabel groaned. "You're hopeless!" She glanced down at her watch. "And we have ten minutes until the execution. Come on, I'll buy the sweater."

"Go ahead, but I don't promise to wear it!" Alex followed Isabel as she paid for the shirt. The two raced down the street to the scheduled meeting place for the execution.

"Ah," Anderson said. "Our last contestants have arrived. We were beginning to get worried."

Alex smiled. "I've never skipped a test in my life. Wait a minute-- if I conveniently got 'lost' and didn't get to take the test, does that mean I can't get executed?"

Anderson burst out laughing. "No, but we might conveniently decide that meant you were forfeiting the game!"

Despite the joking, they soon became serious, as the thumbprints revealed the fourth victim: Amy.

Maria immediately gave her mom a hug. "I'm sorry, Mom. I really wanted you to stay longer."

Amy gave her daughter a small smile. "That's okay. I'm sure it will be a much more exciting game without the adult supervisor. Michael!"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Take care of Maria-- but stay away from her, too!"

Michael couldn't help but laugh at Amy's garbled instructions, but nevertheless made the promise. And with that, Amy departed, leaving six teenagers, composed of a mixture of aliens, humans, and, of course, the mole.

TBC. . .

Anyone know who the mole is yet? 


	5. Chapter Five

Title: Rosmole (5/10)

Author: Kata

E-mail: Katayla@juno.com

Disclaimer: Newsflash: Neither The Mole nor Roswell belongs to me.

Rating: PG

******

Ten friends playing for up to one million dollars. Among them a saboteur, a traitor, the mole. The winner? The one who answers the question, who is the mole?

"Ooh, another cozy German town, just what I need," Maria grumbled as the contestants climbed into the van for yet another journey to yet another hotel.

Michael shot her a concerned look. "You okay?"

"Just tired of traveling, I guess."

"I know!" Isabel groaned. "Give me little old Roswell anytime."

"Don't you want to win the money?" Kyle asked.

"Yes, but I would like to stay in the same place for more than one day for once." Maria sighed. "And I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Planning moley activities?" Alex asked.

"Moley?" Isabel asked, turning to stare at Alex. "Is that even a word?"

"Maria's not the mole, anyway," Tess broke in. 

"Really," Kyle said, sarcastically. "Then tell me O Wise One, who it is?"

Tess looked serious. "Well, it's either you, Alex, Michael, or Isabel."

"Not you?" Maria asked, amused.

Tess shook her head, curls flying. "Of course not! I'm perfectly innocent."

"Don't believe her!" Kyle shouted. "She's completely corrupt! Tess is the mole!"

Michael was studying all his fellow contestants. "I think the mole is. . . Isabel."

"Me?" Isabel asked.

"You be the perfect choice, Izzy. You can keep your emotions from your face. Completely emotionless."

"I sure wasn't very emotionless when Alex and I had to climb down from that tower!" Isabel protested. "Tess would make a much better mole than I would. Or Kyle." She added as an afterthought.

"What? Why?" Kyle demanded.

Isabel shrugged. "Because you joined our group later. We don't know you quite as well. I thought it was Maria's mom, but I guess I was wrong."

"Wait a minute," Maria said. "If you thought it was my mom, how did you get this far? Wouldn't you have gotten all the questions wrong?"

Isabel burst out laughing. "Listen to yourself, Maria. Do you remember those questions? 'Who was the last person out of the van on the way to the book challenge?' 'Who figured out the fifth clue in the book challenge?' Does anyone remember those?"

"Sure," Michael said. "Maria was the last person out of the van. I remember because she nearly ran me over."

"But I don't have any idea who was the one to figure out the fifth clue," Maria admitted. "I guess you're off the hook, Isabel."

"Thanks," Isabel said dryly.

"I don't have a clue who the mole is. So far I've just flipped a coin for the execution test."

"That's not even possible," Kyle objected. "How can you flip a coin for a multi-choice test?"

"I take out however many coins there are answers and flip them," Maria exclaimed. "Then I count up the number of tails and go with that answer."

"Why not heads?"

Maria shrugged. "I don't know. I always liked tails better for some reason."

Alex shook his head. "I prefer my way." He pulled out his notebook. "Careful observation."

"So what does your careful observation tell you?" Maria asked.

Alex looked mournfully at his book. "Absolutely nothing."

Maria sighed. "Sounds like we're all in the same boat. Nobody knows who the mole is."

"Actually," Michael spoke up. "I can guarantee you that at least one of us knows who the mole is."

"Oh, shut up."

The rest of the van ride passed in silence as each contestant pondered the identity of the mole.

******

In just over two hours, the Roswellians arrived at their new hotel. "You know," Maria said, as she climbed out of the van. "I've become used to all these great hotels. Maids to clean up after you, room service...."

"It's to make up for all the torture they put us through," Isabel murmured.

"Ah, come on, Izzy," Alex said, wrapping his arm around her. "You know you loved every minute of it."

Anderson had once again mysteriously arrived at the hotel before they did and was waiting in the lobby.

Kyle groaned when he saw him. "Don't tell me we have to do another challenge now! I just spent two hours in a van with the most insane people you'll ever meet."

"You're just feeling guilty because you're the mole," Maria told him airily.

Anderson smiled. "I'm glad to see you're all on top of the game, but it might be a little premature to make accusations, Maria."

"Oh, I've got it narrowed done to five suspects."

Anderson shook his head. "To answer your question, Kyle, there's no challenge today. Just meet here in the lobby at noon tomorrow."

"What about lunch?" Kyle wanted to know.

"Food is never far from Kyle's mind." Tess grinned.

"Lunch is at eleven," Anderson supplied. "You're all free for the rest of the day."

******

Michael rushed into the lobby the next morning, late. "Sorry," he gasped. "I was looking for Maria." He looked around the room. "She's not here?"

Isabel looked bewildered. "Wasn't she with you? I asked her to go shopping, but she said she had made plans with you."

Michael shook his head. "That was in the morning. I haven't seen her since lunch."

"And that is your next challenge," Anderson broke in. "Maria is being held captive. Your job is to rescue her."

Michael snorted. "Can't we just leave her there?"

"Michael!" Isabel slapped him. "I'm going to tell her you said that!"

Michael made a disgusted face. "You chicks always stick together."

Anderson cleared him throat. "Far be it from me to interrupt this fascinating conversation, but wouldn't you like to learn how to earn fifty thousand dollars for the pot?"

"You've got my attention," Alex commented.

"Good. Now, Maria is being held captive somewhere in the town. You have two hours to find her to earn the money."

"That's it?" Kyle asked. "Isn't there some catch?"

Anderson smiled. "You know us too well. There are also snipers stationed around the town, with paintball guns. You'll recognize them by the green footprints on their coats. Watch out for them."

"Okay," Isabel said. "So we need to avoid the snipers. That shouldn't be too bad, but how are we supposed to know where Maria is?"

"Look down," Anderson said. The contestants followed his gaze to see a red footprint, pointing in the direction of the door. "There are several footprints stationed around the city. Each one points to the next footprint. When you find a green one, Maria is near."

Alex shook his head. "Wow. You guys think of everything,."

Isabel turned to the others. "Well, I guess we should get started. The footprint is pointing towards the door, so . . . ." she began walking towards the door.

The others followed. Isabel scanned the ground. "No footprint, no footprint . . . there should be one somewhere around here."

"Do you think it would be in an obvious place?" Tess asked. "It wouldn't necessarily be one the ground." Her face brightened. "Look!" Tess pointed to a large tree where a red footprint was pasted.

"Good thinking, Tess," Isabel congratulated her.

Michael was looking at the footprint. "So I guess we go this way now," he said, gesturing towards the left. "Keep your eye out for footprints."

"Of course," Kyle said. "We're not dumb, you know."

"Hey, give me some slack," Michael laughed. "I'm supposed to be fearless leader when Max isn't around."

Isabel rolled her eyes and muttered something about male egos. She was so absorbed in her thoughts, that she didn't even notice the red footprint she had stepped on until Alex shouted to her.

Isabel looked down and laughed. "Guess I was looking for one in the trees again."

Tess smiled ruefully. "Me, too."

"Maybe we should all look in different places?" Alex suggested. "How about Isabel and I look on the ground and the rest of you look around at the trees and stuff?"

The others quickly agreed to his plan and found the next footprint quickly.

"All right!" Kyle cheered. "But doesn't this seem a little too easy? We're there supposed to be snip--"

Before he could finish his sentence, Isabel shouted, "Run!" She pointed across the street where a man holding a paintball gun stood. She grabbed the nearest person--Alex-- and pulled him after her, the others sprinting after the couple. After making a couple of turns down several streets, they paused for a breath.

"Whew," Alex said, breathing hard. "Good thing you were paying attention, Izzy. I didn't even notice them."

Isabel shook her head. "Me either, until Kyle said something."

Meanwhile, Tess had noticed something. "Um guys? In our mad rush to avoid getting shot, did any of you happen to notice the way back?"

Kyle groaned. "I give up. Tell Maria you can call me a dumb jock after all."

"Ah, poor baby," Tess said sympathetically. "But don't forget we all missed it. Or does anyone remember?"

Michael shook his head ruefully. "Maria had map duty on all our road trips."

"And I was too worried about getting shot," Isabel said, "but it can't be that hard. We didn't run *that* far."

Tess brightened. "That's true."

Michael ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I know we came from that direction," he said, pointing up the street. "We can start with that."

But within minutes, they had arrived at a cross street. Michael sighed. "And this is when fearless leader steps back and lets his loyal sidekicks take over."

Isabel grimaced. "Not me."

Tess sighed. "Me either."

Kyle shook his head. "Typical girls. No sense of direction."

Tess shoved him. "Maria has a point. You *are* a sexist pig!"

Alex was lost in thought. "I remember turning a couple of times. Maybe we should try going right?"

Michael shrugged. "Why not? No one has a better suggestion."

A couple of minutes later, Michael stopped in frustration. "Now what?" he demanded as they came to another cross street.

Isabel reached into her pocket. "When in doubt, flip a coin!"

Alex smiled. "Why not? I don't think we ever went straight, so let's say tails is right and heads is left?"

Kyle shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

Isabel flipped the coin. "Heads. Left it is."

After one more similar decision, they came to familiar streets. "I think this was it," Tess said. "Any snipers around?"

"Don't see any," Kyle decided, after a careful look around.

"Then let's start looking for footprints."

Now that they were in the right place, the friends had no trouble finding the footprint. Isabel was in the lead, getting ready to cross the street, when Tess grabbed her arm.

"Look," she hissed. "Snipers!"

"Now what?" Kyle groaned. "I don't want to do the mad-rush through the streets again."

"I don't think he saw us," Isabel said. "Maybe we can make it?"

Alex nodded. "We have to give it a try. Let's mingle with them." He gestured towards a noisy group of teenagers.

The Roswellians feel behind the Germans, trying to act as they belonged, while looking for the footprint.

"There!" Isabel whispered, clutching Alex's arm. "On the building."

Alex groaned. "That footprint is leading us right past the sniper!"

Tess bit her lip. "It's not like we have another option."

"And our time is getting short," Michael added. "We only have half-an-hour left."

"Let's go one at a time," Kyle suggested. "I'll go last, I'm used to avoiding getting tackled in football. This can't be that different."

"I'll go first," Isabel volunteered.

"Go for it, Izzy," Michael said. "Do that saunter-down-the-hallway-and-make-all-the-guys-jealous-of-Alex thing."

Isabel shot him a sour look. "I don't need your help." She tossed her hair and walked down the street, barely earning a glance from the sniper.

Michael shrugged. "My turn?" He made it down the street, ducking behind various fellow pedestrians.

"I'll go next," Alex offered. "If they can do it, so can I!" He walked briskly down the street, the others watching cautiously.

"Oh, no!" Tess cried softly. "The sniper sees him. Run Alex!" she cried.

It was too late. The sniper had pulled out his gun and sprayed Alex in a coat of red paint.

"Okay, Tess," Kyle said briskly. "Climb on my back. We're going to have to run for it."

Tess did as asked and Kyle was off; running through the crowds. When he made it to the others, who had found a small shop to hide in, he was panting.

"Alex is out," Tess said, sliding off Kyle's back.

"What?" Isabel cried. "But he didn't even see the rest of us."

Michael shook his head. "We can't worry about it now. Time is running out. Is the sniper still out there?"

Kyle shook his head. "Tess screamed at Alex to get out of the way, so the sniper started walking in our direction. I don't think he saw where we went."

"Then let's go," Michael said simply.

After a couple more turns and close calls with snipers, it seemed they were no closer to finding Maria than they were at the start of the game.

Michael checked his watch. "Five minutes?" he gasped. "We'll never make it!"

"And a sniper!" Tess reminded him. Isabel had pointed out a sniper only moments before.

Isabel shook her head. "We can't worry about the snipers anymore. It's run for your life now."

"She's right," Kyle said. "Let's just run as fast as we can. If we lose someone, don't stop. Just look for the footprints and go."

Michael nodded. "That's the best we can do. Ready everyone? Then go!"

As one, the group broke out in a run. The sniper, startled, made a wild shot at them.

"I'm hit!" Isabel cried. The others didn't glance back.

"Sorry, Iz!" was all Michael had time to yell.

"Footprint!" Tess gasped. They swerved, trying to avoid the German pedestrians.

A couple of seconds later, Tess was splattered in red paint. "Keep going!" was all she said.

Moments later, it was Kyle who got soaked in red paint, leaving Michael to continue alone. It was only ten minutes before he found the green footprint, but unfortunately that was five minutes too late.

Anderson looked sympathetic. "Sorry, Michael, but you know the rules. Five minutes late is still late. No money."

Michael was still trying to regain his breath from his wild run. "All I care about right now is getting some water." he gasped.

Maria walked up behind him. "Couldn't find me in time, Spaceboy?" she said sweetly.

"Sorry, Maria. We lost this one," Michael said, downing the glass of water Anderson handed him in one gulp.

Maria frowned. "We're not going to make any money if we keep going like this."

At that moment, the other contestants walked in, splattered with various degrees of paint. "This is washable, right?" Isabel asked, trying unsuccessfully to wipe off her shirt.

Alex glanced at Michael and Maria's dejected faces. "We lost?" he guessed.

Michael nodded. "Five minutes, that's all. If only we hadn't lost our heads running from that sniper. . . ."

Kyle shook his head. "No time for regrets. We'll just have to win the next challenge."

Anderson held up his hand. "Hold your horses, Kyle. Not until tomorrow! You have the rest of the day to recover from the challenge. I have a feeling most of you will want a shower?" 

Isabel touched her now red hair. "How did you ever guess? Come on, guys. I want to get into the shower and scrub!"

The hotel was surprising close to Maria's "prison."

"You couldn't make it this far in two hour?" Maria asked surprised.

Michael shrugged. "They must have led us in circles. Plus we got lost."

"*And* we were running from snipers," Tess pointed out. "You got off easy this time."

"Not to mention the mole's involvement," Alex added.

"You think the mole was involved?" Isabel asked, surprised.

"I don't have any specific examples, but I don't know how else we could have lost that easily."

Kyle groaned. "I do. We're directionless idiots!"

"I'll second that one!" Maria said, deftly avoiding Michael's good-natured shove.

"I'm focusing on the next challenge," Isabel said. "We have to win some money!"

Michael grinned. "No kidding! I need that money."

"Oh, so you're going to win it, huh?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, did I tell you that?" Michael answered, swinging his arm around Maria's shoulders.

Once they got to the hotel, the group split up. All of them except Michael and Maria needed showers, and Michael and Maria were eager to have some time alone. It seemed as if they never got any time to just be a couple anymore.

******

"Ready for your next challenge?" Anderson asked the next morning, as the contestants stood in the middle of a large shopping center. "I know at least two of you will love this one."

Alex groaned. "Just tell us what it is!"

Anderson pulled out a stack of bills. "I have one-thousand euros Your job is to spend it all and meet me back here in ten minutes."

"That's all?" Maria said disdainfully. "That's a cinch!"

Anderson held up a finger. "Come on, Maria, you know us better than that. There are a couple of catches. You can't spend more than one-hundred euros in any one shop, and no item can cost more than ten euros."

"Okay," Tess said. "Can we split up?"

"Yes, but in groups of two. The challenge is worth ten-thousand dollars, but you lose a thousand for every minute you're late."

Michael nodded. "Okay." He glanced at the others. "Same teams as usual?"

Anderson looked at his watch and handed the bills to Michael. "Your time starts now."

Michael quickly handed out the money. "You each get three-hundred euros. Maria and I will take the extra hundred. Go! And be careful not to go into the same shops!"

Maria hauled Michael into the general store across the street. "Let's do make-up," she suggested, running down the aisle. "That's always expensive." 

"Make-up? My life has come to this?" Michael shook his head, but followed after Maria, who had already accumulated one-hundred euros worth of lip-stick, foundation, eye shadow, and nail polish.

In under two minutes, they had paid for the merchandise. "Bookstore!" Michael cried. By grabbing the first books they saw, Michael and Maria managed to get out that store even faster than the one before. 

"Two hundred euros and five minutes, let's go!" Maria started pulling Michael down the street again.

Across the street, Alex and Isabel were having problems with the check-out lady. "It's ten euros, not eleven," Isabel said stubbornly. "I saw the sign."

The women shook her head. "Elf, nicht ten," she said, in her odd mix of German and English.

"Nein!" Isabel said, holding out ten fingers. "Ten!"

Alex was looking at his watch. "Forget it, Isabel. We have four minutes left and we haven't even spent our first hundred." He pulled the debated object-- a black T-shirt-- out of the pile of items. "We just want this stuff."

After they had paid for their purchase, Isabel and Alex rushed into the street. "Let's go there!" Isabel suggested, pointing at a shoe store.

Alex shook his head. "I saw Tess and Kyle go in there. Let's try the grocery store."

In a nearby candy store, Tess and Kyle were standing in line, Tess impatiently tapping her foot. "One minute." she announced, as Kyle handed the salesclerk their items. 

"How much time now?" Kyle asked, as they emerged from the store.

"Twenty seconds," Tess answered.

Kyle crouched down. "Climb on my back, again. I can make it."

"Five seconds to spare!" Anderson congratulated the gasping Kyle. "You can walk, can't you Tess?"

"Occasionally."

Michael and Maria ran up. "Did we make it?"

"Just barely."

"Where are Isabel and Alex?" Maria asked. "Isabel should have been the first one done!"

Kyle shook his head. "Haven't seen them."

Two minutes later, Alex and Isabel rushed up, hands full of bags.

"Stubborn salesclerk," Isabel explained with a grimace. "We ended up only spending ninety euros in one store and had to go to an extra place."

Alex frowned. "And lost some more money."

Kyle shrugged. "The rest of us were on time. It's more money than we've been making."

"Eight thousand dollars," Anderson agreed. "That gives you a total of $270,000."

Maria shrugged. "That's not too shabby."

"What do we do with this stuff?" Alex asked holding up his bags. 

"Keep it," Anderson told him. "Consider it part of your winnings."

"Good," Michael said. "I needed a new shade of lipstick. The one Maria grabbed should be perfect."

Maria rolled her eyes. "Not to mention all those wonderful books written in German!"

"We got candy!" Tess announced, pointing to the bag in Kyle's hand.

Maria perked up. "Kyle, did I ever tell you how much I love you?"

"Hey!" Michael protested.

"Shut up, Space-boy, you don't have the chocolate!"

"Really, Kyle. I've always considered you one of my best friends. . . ."

******

The mood was much solemner that night, when the next execution took place. "I wish we could stay this way," Maria muttered to Michael. "You and me, Kyle and Tess, Isabel and Alex. It's perfect."

"As long, as you don't go, I'm fine," Michael whispered back, dropping a kiss on Maria's head.

Maria smiled, and snuggled closer, hoping she and Michael would still be together in a couple of minutes.

Next to them, Alex and Isabel were holding hands, and Tess sat in Kyle's lap, arms around his neck. Similar thoughts ran through all their heads.

Even Anderson seemed a little subdued as he entered names into the computer. "Maria. . . .Michael. . .Tess. . .Kyle." A red fingerprint flashed. "Sorry, Kyle."

Tess reluctantly got off of Kyle's lap. "I'll miss you," she admitted.

Kyle ran his hand through his hair. "You know I'll miss you," he said, bending down to gently kiss her. "The rest of you, too," he added.

"I'll miss your sexist comments," Maria said, giving Kyle a hug.

"Tell Tess to give you some of the chocolate."

Kyle gave Tess one last hug, picked up his bag, and left the room.

Anderson looked at the remaining contestants. "We'll be leaving tomorrow at one o'clock. Be ready."

The contestants silently filed out of the room. None of them, not even the mole, ever felt much like talking after an execution.

TBC....

Write me a review. You know you want to. . . . :-)


	6. Chapter Six

Title: Rosmole (6/10)

Author: Kata (Katayla@juno.com)

Disclaimer: The Mole doesn't belong to me . . . Roswell doesn't belong to me. Someday, when I'm a rich and famous author, I'll buy them both, so I don't have to say this anymore.

Rating: PG

Author's Notes: Sorry for the extreme lateness of this. This year at school, instead of everything being due at once, everything comes one right after anothers. Yesterday I had a presentation in one of my classes, which means now I'm working on the math project that due Tuesday, which means I won't start studying for the bio test on Friday until after that. And of course, finals are after that . . . and after finals, I need to start writing my history paper and any day now, our English paper will be assigned. This is all on top of babysitting three days a week. Not to mention scholarship applications! The point? My writing time keeps shrinking and shrinking. I promise to get Rosmole finished, but it won't be anytime soon. Please let me know what you think! (If you're not too at it being so late!)

******

Ten friends playing for up to one million dollars. Among them a saboteur, a traitor, the mole. The winner? The one who answers the question, who is the mole?

"Funny," Maria remarked. "Even I miss Kyle." It was early the next morning and the girls had gathered in Tess' room for an old fashioned gabfest.

"He's the closest thing you've ever had to a brother. Of course you miss him," Isabel said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, and since when did you become Miss Philosophy?" Maria asked, playfully hitting Isabel with a pillow.

Tess didn't join in the laughter. Maria shot Isabel a concerned look and then slid to the floor to sit next to Tess.

"Still claiming Kyle's like a brother?" Maria asked gently.

Tess gave Maria a rueful smile. "You know he wasn't."

Maria shrugged. "Yes, but I wasn't sure you did."

Tess looked down at her hands. "We tried to deny it. You know, living in the same house and all, but . . . ."

"Just think," Isabel said brightly. "If Maria's mom and Kyle's dad ever get married, you'll all live together!"

Maria groaned. "No way! I've been an only child my whole life, and no offense Tess, but I am not sharing a room!"

Tess laughed. "Me either. But that's enough moping from me. No guy's going to hold Tess Harding down for long!" She jumped up. "I need something to do."

"Good," Maria said. "You can come help me pack."

Tess groaned. "That wasn't what I had in mind."

"Come on, Tess," Maria begged. "You're the experienced traveler remember? And my stuff just keeps multiplying?"

"That's because you and Isabel keep shopping."

"So do you!"

"Yes, but I don't buy nearly as much as you do," Tess pointed out.

Isabel stood up. "Come on, Tess. Let's help her. I finished my packing last night."

"Well aren't you special," Maria muttered.

"You're the one who stayed out all night with Michael."

Maria's cheeks flushed. "I did not!"

"Right," Isabel said, unconvinced. "My room's next door to yours. I heard your door slam at midnight."

"So?" Maria tossed her hair. "Michael and I hardly ever get any time alone anymore."

Tess shook her head. "You're fighting a losing battle, Isabel. Come on, let's help her pack."

******

Anderson stared at Maria's luggage. "Is it my imagination or did you just gain an extra bag?"

"Sorry, Anderson," Isabel said. "We tried to stuff all her stuff into the bags she already had, but it just wasn't possible."

Tess laughed. "Not even when all three of us sat on it and Michael tried to zip it up."

Anderson shook his head. "I hope you never go on Survivor, Maria. You can take what? One luxury item?"

Maria made a face at him. "Come on, guys. These shops are so different from what's in the States." She turned to her boyfriend. "Michael, support me! You're supposed to be on my side!"

Michael put his arm around Maria's shoulders. "As long as I don't have to do the shopping, I'll agree with anything you see."

Maria smiled. "You're such a sweetie."

Anderson smiled at the couple. "Come on, you two, into the van!"

"Wow, this seems so much larger," Maria commented, stepping into the van. "We were so packed to begin with."

"I know," Alex said. "Finally enough leg room!"

"And Anderson gets to join us," Tess added.

Anderson smiled wryly. "I'm not sure if that's a privilege or a punishment."

"Oh, come on," Maria said. "At least you won't be waiting at the hotel with your whole 'this is your next challenge act'."

"I'll have to improvise." Anderson said, smiling.

"I'm sure you'll do your best," Maria said encouragingly. "Now, if you all don't mind, *I'm* going to take a nap." She snuggled up to Michael, putting her head on his shoulder.

"Anyone notice how quiet it got all of sudden?" Michael asked brightly. 

"I can still hear you, Michael," Maria murmured sleepily.

Michael grinned unrepentantly. "Oops." He soon decided Maria had the right idea and placed his head on top of hers and promptly went to sleep.

One by one, the other passengers followed their example and the rest of the trip passed peacefully.

******

Isabel looked up at the hotel. "I'm sure this hotel is different from the last hundred or so we've been in," she said, "but I sure can't tell the difference."

"Oh come on, Izzy," Alex said, swinging his arm around Isabel's shoulders. "The door is at least half-an-inch closer to that window than it was at the last hotel."

Anderson laughed. "It's different, trust me."

"Trust *you*?" Maria said. "I don't think so!" At the other's strange glances, she shrugged. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

As soon as they were in the hotel, Anderson turned to them. 

"Oh, no!" Maria groaned theatrically. "Not another challenge!"

"I'm afraid so. Hopefully this one will be easy for you."

"That what you always say," Michael muttered.

"Come on, guys," Anderson begged. "At least let me get through with this. The idea of the challenge is to see how much you know about each other. I'm be asking the group five questions about each one of you. If you get three out of five questions right, you'll earn twenty-thousand dollars, for a possible total of one-hundred thousand dollars."

"How do you know the answers?" Alex asked curiously. "I mean I could just say that the answer was whatever they said . . . ."

"Sorry, Alex. We took all the answers from your applications and interviews. You said some pretty personal stuff, you know."

"Can we answer the questions about ourselves?" Maria asked eagerly.

"No."

Maria sighed. "Didn't think so. Oh, well who's first?"

"I thought we'd go in reverse alphabetical order by first name for a change, so Tess you're up."

Tess groaned. "Do I have to leave the room?"

"No, you get to stay right here and see how much your friends know about you." Anderson grinned. "Or how much they don't know about you."

Tess groaned again.

Michael smiled. "Bring it on."

"All right," Anderson said. "Question Number One: Who was Tess' first crush?"

Isabel looked at the others. "It's got to be Max, right?"

Maria nodded. "I would think so."

"But was that her first crush?" Alex asked.

"I think so," Michael said. "I mean, because . . . well, because."

Maria nodded. Michael's wording was lame, but she knew what he couldn't say on national TV: because Max was her husband from a previous life on an alien planet. "So, are we going to go with Max?"

Isabel shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

"Okay, Anderson. Final answer: Max."

"Wrong show," Anderson murmured. "But you're right. Max was Tess' first love." He scratched his head. "How did that work anyway? I thought Max and Liz liked each other."

"Just read the questions," Tess said.

"Okay. Question Number Two: What is Tess' middle name?"

Michael stared at the others. "Are we supposed to know that?"

Isabel frowned. "I don't think so."

"Marie," Maria said firmly.

Alex stared at her. "Really?"

"Well, no, but it's one of those really common middle names, you know? When I was in elementary school, *everyone* had the middle name Maria and I would always confuse it with my name."

Michael held out a hand. "Slow down, motor mouth." Maria stuck her tongue out at him. "She does have a point. If none of us know, we could just guess."

Isabel shrugged. "All right, Marie it is."

Anderson shook his head. "Sorry, guys. It's Lynn."

"Tess Lynn?" Maria asked. "That's pretty."

Tess blushed. "Thanks."

"Question Number Three: What was the name of Tess' imaginary friend?"

"You had an imaginary friend?" Maria asked.

Michael rolled his eyes. "Well, obviously. Unless it's a trick question. Is it a trick question?" he asked Anderson.

Anderson laughed. "No, Michael. It's not a trick question!"

"All right then," Michael said. "Um...does anyone know or should we just guess again?"

Isabel shrugged. "How about . . .um . . .Sarah?"

"Why?" Alex asked curiously.

Isabel grinned. "Because it's the first name I could think of!"

"It's a fairly common name," Maria pointed out. "We might as well try it."

"Sorry guys," Anderson broke in. "Tess' imaginary friend's name was . . . Vilandra. Is that 

how you say it?"

Isabel started, wondering if Tess remembered exactly who Vilandra was. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she nearly missed the reading of the fourth question. She quickly jerked her attention back to Anderson.

". . . Remember, you have to get this one right, or you lose this round," Anderson was saying.

"Like we could forget that." Maria rolled her eyes.

Anderson glared at her. "What is Tess' favorite song?"

"Something by 'N Sync, I think," Isabel said. 

Michael frowned. "What is it with you girls and boy bands?"

Maria stuck her tongue out at him. "What's wrong with liking boy bands?"

"Wait, wait, you guys," Alex jumped in. "We don't need to start that argument up again! Are we going with an 'N Sync song?"

Maria shrugged. "Sure. How about 'This I Promise You'? That's a good one."

"Is that your answer?" Anderson asked.

Isabel looked around at the rest of the group. "I guess so."

Tess groaned. "No! My favorite song is 'The Hardest Thing', by 98 Degrees! How could you not know that?"

"Sorry." Michael shrugged. "I try to avoid that kind of music." 

"Michael!" Maria complained. He gave her a saucy grin and put his arm around her shoulders.

Anderson smiled. "Well, Michael, it's your turn next. Ready to see how much they know about you?"

"Do I really have a choice?"

Anderson ignored his question. "all right. First question: what is Michael's favorite band?"

"Well, it *should* be 98 Degrees," Maria muttered under her breath. Michael poked her.

Alex laughed. "Metallica. Everyone knows that."

"Right!" Anderson sounded pleased. "Second question: what is Michael's hidden talent?"

"Hidden talent?" Alex asked. "If it's hidden, then we shouldn't know about it. Can we have a new question?"

Isabel laughed. "Come on, Alex. Be a good sport."

"Anyway, *I* know the answer," Maria said, smiling smugly.

"Then tell!" Tess begged.

"Painting."

Anderson looked surprised. "That's right, Maria. One more question and you'll have earned $20,000 for the pot. Third question: what was Michael's most embarrassing moment?"

"When he did that dumb wrestling thing?" Isabel asked.

"What dumb wrestling thing?" Tess wanted to know.

"Actually it was kind of sweet," Isabel said. "Maria's mom was doing this alien wrestling event and her wrestler backed out at the last moment. Michael filled in."

Tess smiled. "That is sweet. Do you think it's his most embarrassing moment?"

"No. He had a choice in that," Alex pointed out. "I don't think it counts."

"Maria?" Isabel asked. "You're our resident Michael expert?"

"What an honor."

"Come on, Maria. Do you know?"

Maria shrugged. "Probably the same as *my* most embarrassing movement: when my mom caught us in bed together and chased Michael out with a newspaper."

"What?" Tess asked, shocked.

"No! It wasn't like that!" Maria blushed. "Really, it wasn't. That's our answer, Anderson."

Anderson smiled. "You're right again. That's $20,000 dollars for the pot."

"Yes!" Maria cheered. "I knew dating Michael would come in handy someday!"

Anderson shook his head. "This doesn't seem like a very good relationship. Now, Michael. Let's see if you know Maria as well as she knows you. First question: what is Maria's favorite cartoon?"

"Easy." Michael declared. "Scooby."

"Really?" Isabel asked. "I always thought of Maria as more of a Winnie-the-Pooh kind of person."

"Nope," Michael said. "Scooby. I swear, she turns it on every time she's at my apartment."

"She watched it when were kids, too," Alex put in. "And drove us all crazy wanting to play it at recess."

"Scooby it is!" Anderson said. "You guys are getting better at this! Second question: what is Maria's greatest ambition?"

"To be a professional singer," Michael answered quickly.

"Michael!" Isabel complained. "Give the rest of us a chance to answer!"

"Why?" he asked. "I'm right, aren't I?" he turned to Anderson.

"Yep. One more question and you'll have another 20,000. Ready? What was Maria's first pet?"

Michael turned to the others and grinned. "Okay guys, answer away!"

"A cat?" Isabel said uncertainly. "That would sort of fit."

Alex frowned. "Maybe it's a trick question. Maria never had a pet when I knew her."

"Same here," Tess said.

Isabel sighed. "Okay, Michael. Show off your Maria-wisdom."

"A Dalmatian dog," Michael answered promptly.

"He's right, of course," Anderson said. "You two know each other so well, it's scary."

"Yeah, who would want to know *him*?" Maria stuck her tongue out at Michael.

"More people than want to know you!" Michael replied, tugging on Maria's hair.

"Odd relationship." Anderson mused. "Very odd."

"So we've noticed," Isabel said dryly. "I'm next, aren't I?"

"Yes. Here's the first question: what is Isabel's middle name?"

"Didn't we already have that question?" Tess complained. "I don't think repeat questions, should be allowed?"

"You should know, Michael," Maria said. "You've known Isabel forever."

"Me?!" Michael sputtered. "What about Alex? He's the one dating her!"

"We're not dating!" Alex and Isabel said in unison.

"And even if we were, that doesn't mean I would know her middle name!" Alex defended himself.

"So basically what we're saying is we don't know," Maria stated. "We'll just have to guess again. Want to try Marie again?"

"Sure," Tess agreed. "Isabel Marie would sound nice."

"Maybe so," Anderson said. "But the answer is Amanda."

"Really?" Maria asked. "That's a cool middle name."

"Second question," Anderson went on. "What is Isabel's favorite holiday?"

"Christmas!" The answer came from everyone is the room.

Anderson seemed taken aback. "Apparently that question was far too easy...." He shook his head. "Third question: what is Isabel's greatest fear."

"Being captured by the FBI," Tess thought, but didn't say. Aloud, she guessed, "Spiders?"

"Nah," Maria said. "That's too mundane. Death? That's a nice, deep fear."

Tess shrugged. "Sounds good to me. Well, not good, but you know what I mean. Want to go with that?"

Everyone nodded, but Anderson said, "No. Isabel's greatest fear is losing her family and friends."

Maria groaned. "Should have guessed that one. Oh, well. Next question please!"

"Okay," Anderson began. "Remember, you need to get this one right to stay alive. What is Isabel's favorite movie?"

"Simple." Alex grinned. "Notting Hill."

"Yeah." Tess agreed. "She has some weird obsession with that movie."

"Correct!" Anderson declared. "This is the last question. Get it right, and earn $20,000. Miss it and earn nothing. What is Isabel's favorite animal?"

"A cat, I think," Maria said. "That would fit Iz well."

"No," Alex said thoughtfully. "Maybe a bird."

"How about a reindeer?" Michael suggested. "Since she loves Christmas so well?"

"That's just plain silly," Tess declared. "I'm with Alex. Let's try a bird."

"Sorry, gang. Maria was right. It was a cat."

"See!" Maria shouted. "You should have listened to me! I know what I'm talking about."

"You guessed, too." Michael pointed out.

"Yes, but I guessed right!"

"Okay, okay," Anderson said. "You can return to your usual bickering in a couple of minutes. First, it's Alex's turn."

Alex groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Yes." Anderson told him. "First question: what is Alex's most prized possession?"

"Either his guitar or something to do with Isabel." Maria decided.

"Something to do with Isabel, I think," Tess mused. "Alex is sort of a romantic guy. What does Alex have of yours, Isabel?"

"I'm really enjoying this conversation," Alex said to no one. "I love having a bunch of girls discuss my 'romantic' personality."

"Too many girls," Michael muttered in agreement.

"What do you think, Isabel?" Maria asked.

"Our photo album?" Isabel suggested.

"You have a photo album?" Maria squealed. "That's so romantic! Michael, I want a photo album!"

"See what you started?" Michael complained to Alex. Alex merely shrugged.

"Is that your answer?" Anderson asked. The girls nodded. "Unfortunately, you've underestimated Alex's romantic quality; his most prized possession is his guitar."

"I was right again!" Maria shouted. "You all need to listen to me more often!"

"If I listened to you all the time, my ears would run down."

"Michael!"

Anderson laughed. "Do I need to separate you two? Second question: what is Alex's middle name?"

"Again?" Tess complained. "Can't you guys think of another question?"

Maria smiled. "It's okay, Tess. You know it, don't you?"

"Of course," Tess said. "Everyone knows it. Alex is way too proud of his middle name."

"Do you mind sharing it with me?" Anderson asked. "You know, since it is part of the game and all."

"Oh, sorry. Charles."

"Right!" Anderson declared. "You're one for two. Third question: what is Alex's favorite breakfast cereal?"

"Favorite breakfast cereal?" Maria asked. "How in the world are we supposed to know that?"

"Well, you have known Alex for years," Michael asked. "You must have eaten breakfast with him at some time."

"Only at the Crashdown and we always order pancakes or something like that."

"What about you, Isabel?" Tess asked. "Surely you and Alex have eaten breakfast together?"

Isabel shook her head. "Just at the Crashdown."

"Back to old way, then," Maria said brightly. "Guess!"

"Cherrios?" Isabel asked. "That's a nice, normal kind of cereal."

"*Too* normal," Maria protested. "What about Frosted Flakes?"

"Sounds g-g-g-great!" Isabel said. At the others' stares, she shrugged. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

"Are we right?" Maria asked Anderson.

Anderson shook his head. "Nope. The answer is Life."

"*Cinnamon* Life," Alex corrected.

"Okay, *Cinnamon* Life. Now, remember, you have to get this question right to earn the money. What is Alex's favorite color?"

Maria frowned. "I don't think I know that."

"Green?" Isabel suggested. 

"I guess we could try that," Michael said. "Green is a nice guyish color."

Maria stared at him. " 'Guyish'? Is that even a word?"

"It is now."

"Well, I think it's sexist."

"Is that your answer?" Anderson interrupted the bickering duo.

"Yes," Isabel answered for the group.

"Sorry. Alex's favorite color is red."

Alex groaned. "And I thought you guys were my friends! How could you miss all those questions about me?"

"Same way you missed all those questions about us," Isabel responded pertly.

"You still earned $40,000," Anderson said consolingly. "That's brings your pot up to $318,000."

"Which sounds like a lot, until you realize we could have won $690,000." Alex grumbled.

"Alex!" Isabel complained. "You're supposed to be the optimist."

"I'm not really complaining," Alex said, with a grin. "I'd be happy to take $318,000!"

"And you'll have a chance to win more in tomorrow's challenge," Anderson said. "You have the rest of the day off."

"You're so generous," Tess murmured.

"Good," Maria said. "I need to go shopping."

"You know," Michael said to her. "I really hope you win."

"You do?"

Michael nodded. "Otherwise you'll never be able to pay for all of the stuff you bought!"

"Don't be ridiculous. I've been saving up money for shopping in Germany for months."

Isabel laughed. "Don't worry, Michael. I'll try to curb her spending."

"Oh, that's a comfort," Alex said sarcastically. "You've bought as much as she has!'

Maria stuck her tongue out at him. "Tess will come with us. She can control us."

Tess laughed. "I don't think that's possible!"

"Then we'll have to change you into a shopping maniac! Come on, Tess!" Maria grabbed Tess' arm and Isabel's hand. "We can't waste any time!"

"Okay, okay! That's enough!" Isabel managed to wrench her hand out of Maria's grip. 

"Sorry," Maria said. "You know how I am when it comes to shopping. What do you want to shop for today? Clothes? Jewelry? Books? Make-up?"

"Let's do clothes," Isabel said. "I need a new skirt. What do you think, Tess?"

"That sound's good to me," Tess agreed. "I need a new swimsuit. With all this swimming we've been doing, mine is falling apart!"

Before long, the girls were browsing the racks at a small German boutique. Their conversation naturally fell to the game and that day's challenge.

"I can't believe you knew all that about Michael!" Isabel exclaimed. "I don't even know all that and I've known him forever."

Maria laughed. "I think it comes from breaking up so many times. You'd be amazed at how much you notice about a person when he's trying to avoid you. Or when you're trying to avoid him."

"And another challenge tomorrow!" Tess groaned. 

"Oh come on, Tess. They're fun!" Maria said.

"Some of them," Tess admitted. "But today was weird. I didn't know any of the answers."

"You need to spend more time with us," Maria suggested.

"Just shop with us," Isabel said, "and you'll learn far more about Maria then you'll ever want to know!"

*****

Back at the hotel, Michael and Alex had found a video game room. "All right!" Alex cheered. "I've missed all the game I have on my computer."

"And there's no girls around to nag us."

"I'm going to tell Maria you said that."

"Hey, I don't see you spending all your time with Isabel," Michael protested.

"We're not going out!"

"Actually," Michael said thoughtfully, "*technically*, Maria and I aren't going out."

"Uh-huh," Alex said, unconvinced. "Good luck finding anyone who believes that."

"But we never technically got back together after I broke up with her. . . ."

"Michael, word of advice: don't share that line of thought with Maria."

Michael laughed. "Hey, I may not be the smartest guy in the world, but even I know that much!"

Alex suddenly groaned. "An alien ate me!"

"WHAT?" Michael shouted.

"Not a *real* alien. One on the game."

"Oh, sorry. These video games get more realistic all the time."

Alex stared at the screen, which depicted an army of invading aliens. "Maybe I should find a new game."

"That might be a good idea."

******

The next day was sunny and warm. The gang gathered in a nearby park for the latest challenge.

"All right!" Maria cheered. "For once, we have a challenge outside on a sunny day!"

  
"It's almost too hot," Isabel said, trying to fan herself with her hand.

"I like it," Tess said.

"If you're done discussing the weather . . . are you ready for your next challenge?" Anderson asked, from his place standing behind the group.

"Once again, since we have no choice, why do you even bother asking?" Maria inquired.

Anderson shrugged. "I was raised to be polite. All right, you have half-an-hour for five tasks. Each task is worth $10,000, for a total of $50,000."

"What are the tasks?" Alex asked.

Anderson grinned. "That's the catch. I can only tell you about the tasks one at a time."

Michael groaned. "Why must you complicate things?"

Anderson only looked at his watch. "Okay, your time is starting now. First task: build a human pyramid."

"Okay," Michael said, thinking quickly. "Tess is the lightest, so she should go on the top. Alex and I will go on the bottom, and Maria and Isabel in the middle." He kneeled down on the ground, with Alex beside him. "Come on Maria, climb on my back."

"I thought you'd never ask," Maria said, carefully balancing herself.

"Can you make it up?" Isabel asked Tess from her perch on Alex's back.

"I think so," Tess replied. She took a flying leap at her fellow contestants.

"Ow," Maria complained. "That was my back!"

"Don't whine," Tess said. "We did it!"

"Very impressive," Anderson said. "That only took you one minute. I have to admit that, for you second challenge, we got our motivation from another reality show; you have to eat this bag of bugs."

"Ew! Gross!" Maria shrieked.

Isabel started laughing. "Maria, look at the bag! They're candy!"

"Oh." Maria said flatly. "I guess I can manage that."

Two minutes the bag was empty. "Ugh." Tess groaned. "Those were way too sweet."

"Next task," Anderson announced. "Sing Christmas carols to five strangers."

Maria grinned. "I like this challenge. Come on, guys!" She dashed out to the sidewalk. By the time the rest of the group caught up to her, she was half-way though "Jingle Bells."

When they were finished, Maria found another stranger and started singing "Joy to the World." By the time they finished singing the last carol--"Silent Night"-- they had attracted quite a crowd.

"Thank you, thank you," Maria said, giving mock bows.

"Maria!" Michael poked her. "It's time for the next challenge."

"You have eighteen minutes left. Next challenge: everyone has to paint their self portraits."

"Great challenge!" Michael commented, as the approached the easels that had been set for them.

"These don't have to be *good* self portraits, do they?" Isabel asked, looking doubtfully at the paint.

"I hope not!" Maria said, before starting in on her picture. 

Five minutes later, they had produced four unrecognizable paintings, and one quite good self portrait.

"Come on, Michael!" Maria begged. "It doesn't have to be perfect. We don't have time!"

"Okay, okay." Michael agreed, giving his painting one last stroke.

"Last task," Anderson announced. "You have 12 minutes left to find someone who has the same name as one of you."

The group groaned at that. "That's going to be hard," Michael said. "I don't think any of our names is very German."

Alex shrugged. "We have to give it a shot. Tess? How do you say 'what's your name?' in German?"

"Wie heissen Sie?" Tess responded. "Come on, let's split up."

Tess worked her way through the streets quickly, asking everyone insight for their names, while Alex and Isabel were more polite, remembering to say "danke." With only minutes to spare, Tess let out a shriek of excitement. 

"Yes! Everyone-- meet Michael Schmidt!!"

Even Anderson looked happy. "Congratulations everyone. That's $50,000 for the pot!"

******

The happiness of that day seemed long gone the next day, an hour before the execution test. A tense group had gathered in the hotel lobby. Alex said in an arm chair, flipping through his notebook. Isabel sat at his feet and seemed to be watching everyone, all at once. Michael and Maria talked quietly on the loveseat. Tess sat across the room and seemed lost in thought. Just before they all went crazy from guilt and suspicion, it was time to take the test.

Less than a half-hour later, they had gathered for the sixth execution.

"How are you all doing?" Anderson asked, with real concern in his voice.

Maria sighed. "Okay, I guess. It's so hard to feel suspicious of your best friends."

"I'm just glad we don't have to vote anyone off," Isabel said. "Not that this isn't hard enough."

Tess nodded. "I feel so guilty when I take the test."

"What about the guys?" Anderson asked. "Michael? Alex?"

Michael shrugged. "It's just a game, right? But I'm with Maria. I trust these guys, but one of them is lying to me."

"And we don't really know who." Alex remarked. "Or what all they're lying about."

Anderson nodded. "Ready for the execution?"  


"Not really." Maria sighed.

"Unfortunately, you don't have choice," Anderson said softly, and started typing names in the computer. This time the red fingerprint appeared by Alex's name.

Alex looked shocked. "But my notebook! How could I be wrong?"

Isabel threw her arms around his neck. "I'll miss you."

Tess and Maria also hugged Alex. "Sorry," they both murmured.

Michael just looked at Alex. "Leaving me with all these girls?" he asked.

Alex nodded, still looking at his notebook in disbelief, as he left the game.

The group was silent, as they always were after an execution.

"We're leaving tomorrow," Anderson reminded them. "Be in the hotel lobby at ten."

As one, the Roswellians stood and left the room.

The mole stayed up late that night, thinking that as hard as it would be to suspect your friends of lying, it was even harder to be the one lying . . . . 

TBC

Feedback me... pretty please with Michael on top?


	7. Chapter Seven

Title: Rosmole (7/10)

Author: Kata

Disclaimer: Roswell's not mine; The Mole's not mine. Got it?

Rating: PG

Author's Notes: Sorry for the incredibly long delay on this one. Unfortunately real life interfered and I had no time for writing. From here on out, it should go much, much faster. Enjoy the fic!

******

Ten friends playing for up to one million dollars. Among them a saboteur, a traitor, the mole. The winner? The one who answers the question, who is the mole?

Maria woke up fairly early the next morning and stumbled down to hotel lobby for some hot chocolate, fully expecting to be the first one there. To her surprise, Isabel was already there, curled up in an armchair with a cup of coffee.

"Oh! Isabel! I didn't think anyone would be up yet!" Maria exclaimed as she mixed her cocoa.

Isabel shrugged. "I couldn't sleep."

"Thinking of Alex?" Maria asked softly, then quickly added, "I know, I know, you're not dating."

Isabel sighed. "We're really not, but . . . we're not dating anyone else, you know?"

Maria smiled. "Dating Michael Guerin has often been like that."

"And even though it's not my fault that Alex left-- I mean, it's not like Survivor, where you vote people off-- I can't help feeling responsible."

Maria nodded. "It's the game. I watched it on TV last year and all the distrust made it exciting. But now I'm playing the game and I can't trust anyone. Not Michael. Not you. I couldn't even trust my own mother! And I don't want to be the one executed, but that means wishing that my best friends lose! I feel guilty, too," she concluded

Isabel swirled the coffee around in her cup. "I hate lying. I've had to lie for so long," she said, no longer talking about the game.

Maria sighed. "Yeah. It's hard."

"It doesn't matter if you're the mole or not," Isabel continued. "You still have to lie about who you think it is, lie to your best friends."

"To your own mother! And maybe I'm supposed to be lie to your mother, since I'm a teenager, but Mom and I have never been like that, you know?" Maria sighed. "Look on the bright side. We're down to the final four. Once the game is over, we can stop lying. We know all of each others deepest, darkest secrets, remember?" She grinned at Isabel.

Isabel smiled back at Maria. "Right."

"And I hearby forgive you for any lies you have or will tell me," Maria said. "But only during the game, okay? Don't lie to me when we get back home. You know, like don't lie to me about Michael."

"I won't."

"Good." Maria paused. "You're not lying to me now, are you?"

******

It was ten o'clock and Maria and Isabel had gathered with the rest of the contestants in the hotel lobby, waiting to be taken away to yet another town and another competition.

Michael was staring around at his friends. "I just realized I'm the only guy left."

"You're not complaining, are you?" Maria asked. "You should be happy to be surrounded by all this lovely feminity." She gestured to herself, Tess, and Isabel.

"And if you're not, lie," Isabel advised.

"Besides, you're not really the only guy," Tess pointed out. "Anderson's still here." 

"Glad you noticed," Anderson said dryly. "Everyone ready to go?"

"You know," Maria commented, as the group filed out of the hotel and into the van. "Someday, I want your job, Anderson. You get to stand around and be the all-knowing host and guide, while the rest of us suffer with the challenges and the mole . . . Anderson, do you know who the mole is?"

"Nope. Well, at least no one's told me. I have my suspicions."

"Really?" Maria's eyes lit up. "Who?"

Anderson laughed. "That wouldn't be fair, Maria! I know far more about this game than you do."

"Darn," Maria said, as she buckled her seatbelt.

"Don't you have some idea of who the mole is?" Michael asked from his seat next to Maria. "You've made it this far."

"Oh, maybe. It's just you're never sure, you know?"

"Hey!" Tess suddenly said. "We're the final four! That's all important in Survivor. Shouldn't we get some sort of award?" She glanced at Anderson.

"Sorry, Tess. You still have to make it a bit further to get the prize."

"Anyway, I'm glad this isn't Survivor," Isabel commented. "At least with The Mole we get to stay in luxurious hotels, see some of the world . . . ."

"And shop?" Michael asked, pointing to the bags Maria had stashed in the van.

"Exactly."

******

A little over two hours later, the van pulled up to a field surrounded by trees.

"Um? Anderson?" Maria spoke up. "This isn't quite a hotel, you know."

"Challenge first, Maria." Anderson stepped out the van and waited for the contestants to circle around him. "All right. Here's the challenge. See that path?" he pointed at the forest. "You have to make it down the path, about a mile, to the hotel we'll be staying at."

Michael frowned. "This challenge seems somewhat unchallenging."

"You know us better than that. Here's the catch." Anderson reached down to a bag near his feet and pulled out a handful of material. "Tess, you're blind," he said, handing her a blindfold. "Maria, you can't talk. Michael, you just lost your right leg, and Isabel, your right arm is gone." 

"How come Isabel gets the easy one," Tess griped, as she attempted to tie the blindfold around her eyes.

"Yeah," Maria said, coming behind Tess to tie the blindfold. "I can't not talk."

"How are you going to check that anyway?" Michael asked. "You're not really going to cut of my leg are?"

"Or my arm?"

Anderson handed Isabel a sling and Michael a long piece of material. Maria got a another long strip of material. 

"I get the blindfold," Michael said, "but what's this for?" He held up his strip of fabric.

"It's to tie your leg up, of course," Anderson said. "And Maria needs to tie that around her mouth." He gestured to the material Maria held in her hands.

"I get crutches, right?" Michael asked hopefully.

"Sorry, but the point of this challenge is to depend on each other," Anderson answered.

"How much is it, anyway?" Maria asked. "If I have to give up talking, it better be for a good cause."

"One-hundred thousand," Anderson replied.

Maria's eyes widened. "Good enough for me!" She began tying her makeshift gag around her head.

"Okay, so we just have to get to the hotel, with our 'handicaps'?" Michael asked.

"In half-an-hour, sticking together, and staying on the path."

"And I still don't get crutches?"

"Nope."

Michael groaned. "Okay then. Guess I'll lean on the chicks." He grinned at Maria, Tess, and Isabel.

"Don't forget I'm blind," Tess said. She had been standing completely still, too unsure of her surroundings to move.

"Actually, that works out," Isabel said. "Tess is the shortest anyway. Maria and I can support Michael and you can just--"

"Hey guys!" Anderson broke in. "No planning until your time starts." He glanced down at his watch. "Okay, *now* start planning."

Isabel rolled her eyes. "As I was saying, Tess you can just grab hold of Maria or my arm."

"Okay," Tess said uncertainly. "Um . . . but where are you guys?" She reached out tentatively.

Maria moved over to grab Tess' arm. "Who's that?" Tess asked.

Maria opened her mouth to answer, but suddenly stopped, remembering her gag.

"Maria," Michael answered for her. He was attempting to balance on one leg. "Um? Can I get a little help here? I'm about to fall over."

Isabel moved quickly over to him. Michael wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Ugh." Isabel groaned. "Can you give me a hand here, Maria? Michael has been eating way too much junk food!"

"Hey!" Michael protested.

Maria quickly moved over to Michael's other side-- leaving Tess behind in the process.

"Maria?" Tess called, reaching her hands out. "Where did you go?"

Maria smacked herself in the forehead. She reached out a hand to Tess, who tentatively grabbed it.

"Just walk forward, Tess!" Isabel called over her shoulder.

"Okay." Tess took a couple of steps. "You'd tell me if I were about to run into something, right?"

"Trust us," Isabel said.

"Okay then," Michael said, as Tess came up to Maria's side. The four of them were now lined up and clinging to one another. "Are we ready to go?"

"Looks like it," Isabel said. The group didn't make a step.

"Did we start moving?" Tess asked.

"On the count of three," Michael answered. "One, two, three . . ."

Maria and Isabel took huge steps forward. Michael took a desperate jump, trying to keep up with them, but landing half a step behind. Tess didn't move, but instead let her hand slip from Maria's arm. 

"The idea was to move, Tess!" an exasperated Isabel said.

Tess winced at Isabel's harsh voice. "I'm sorry! I hate not knowing where we're going!"

"Trust," Isabel said. "Remember? It's what this whole game boils down to anyway."

"Just take a couple steps forward," Michael suggested. "Maria will grab your hand. Right sweetie?" He grinned at Maria. She shot him a look, but did as he asked.

Tess took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm ready." She had put her hand firmly around Maria's arm. Michael had managed to jump another half step forward, so that the four friends were once again in one line.

"Try not to make such huge steps," Michael said to Isabel and Maria. "I can't jump that far."

"Yeah," Tess said. "And I have little legs!"

"Okay," Isabel sighed. "Ready everyone? One, two, three . . .go!"

This time, the friends managed to stay more or less together. "Okay, good." Michael said. "Now we're getting somewhere."

"Yeah, two feet from where we started," Isabel murmured.

"Attitude, attitude," Michael chided her, teasingly.

"She's right," Tess said. "It'll take us forever if we do it this way, counting before each step."

"Well, what do you suggest?" Michael asked, exasperated.

Tess bit her lip. "I don't know. I can't even see!"

"Isabel?" Michael asked. "Any suggestions or do you just like to complain?"

Maria jabbed Michael in the ribs.

"What?" Michael asked.

"I think that means, be polite," Isabel murmured.

Michael rolled his eye. "Fine, I'll be polite. Isabel dearest, do you have any suggestions?"

"No."

"Fine then," Michael said. "Now instead of arguing and wasting time, let's just continue with the counting method until someone comes up with a better idea, okay?"

The others murmured their assent (or in Maria's case, nodded their assent) and they began moving.

"One, two, three, go. One, two, three, go," Isabel repeated.

After a couple of minutes of this, Tess interrupted her.

"I think we have the hang of this now, Isabel. You probably don't have to count anymore. See?" she added, as the group took another successful step. "It'll probably be faster, too."

"Good point," Isabel said and ceased counting.

The group silently continued on this way for several minutes.

"You know," Michael said, finally breaking the silence. "I never thought I'd say this, but I actually miss all Maria's chatter."

Maria shot a quick glance up at him, checking to see if he was serious.

"Or maybe not," Michael said, with an unrepentant grin.

Isabel smiled. "Be good, Michael or I might just 'accidentally' let you slip and fall."

"This is what I hate about being alone with three chicks!" Michael exclaimed. "You always stick together!"

"Well if Maria can't defend herself, it's up to us to do the job for her." Tess chimed in.

Michael groaned. "I give up!"

"Of course you do," Isabel said. "Girls always win."

The contestants fell into a comfortable silence as they continued down the path.

"Anyone know how much time we have left?" Tess asked after a couple of minutes.

"No watch," Michael said, as Maria raised her own empty wrist.

"Isabel?"

"I forgot to take it off when we went swimming the other day. According to it, it's been 3:21 for the past three days!"

"Well, that's just great," Tess said. "For all we know, we could already be out of time!"

"Don't be silly," Isabel said. "It hasn't been that long."

"Silly? How is it silly to worry about whether or not we're going to win this challenge? Unless, of course, you're the mole and want us to lose." Tess' outburst surprised even herself. She groaned. "Sorry, Isabel. I just hate being blind." 

Isabel managed a small grin. "It's all right. I understand. The stress of this game is getting to all of us."

"So," Michael broke in. "You think Isabel's the mole, Tess? That's interesting."

"I didn't say that."

"So you *don't* think Isabel's the mole, then?"

"I didn't say that either."

"You must have some opinion," Michael said.

Tess laughed. "To tell you the truth, I never thought I would get this far. I'm just having fun playing the game."

"Him," Michael said. "What about you, Isabel? Any suspects?"

"Yeah, three of them!" Isabel said sarcastically. 

"Oh come on," Michael said. "You can't tell neither of you has one definite suspect in mind!" In his exasperation, Michael stopped on the trail. 

"Michael!" Maria exclaimed through her gag as she fell to the ground, bringing Tess down with her. On Michael other side, Isabel also stumbled and fell, unable to catch herself with her 'broken' arm.

"Ow," Tess said. "I think I hurt something." She shook out her right arm, which had been twisted beneath her when she feel."

"Me, too!" Isabel groaned. "Why, oh why, do I keep wearing heels to these challenges?" she rubbed her left ankle.

Michael put his head in his hands. "I am an idiot!" Maria rubbed his back comfortingly. "Sorry, guys."

"It's okay," Isabel said. "I think I'll be able to walk." She winced as she put weight on her ankle. 

"You're not going to help carry me," Michael said.

"I can do it," Isabel insisted.

"No, you can't."

"If you're hurt, I might be able to help," Tess offered. "Michael could lean on me if you stay on my other side and give me instructions."

"Okay," Isabel agreed. 

Within minutes the group had rearranged themselves into their new order and were on their way,. However, they had lost valuable time and hadn't even spotted the hotel when Anderson appeared on the trail in front of them. 

Isabel groaned. "This means we lost, doesn't it?"

Anderson nodded. "Sorry guys. This was a tough one. And I'm afraid I have more bad news. Maria, you spoke, breaking one of the rules of the game. That'll cost the pot five thousand dollars."

"What?" Maria cried, tearing off her gag. "That was his fault!" She pointed at Michael.

Anderson spread out his hands in mute apology. "I don't make the rules, Maria." 

Maria pouted. "I make one little mistake and lose five thousand dollars. Do you know how hard it was not to talk?"

Anderson smiled. "You'll have a chance to make up for it in the next challenge. Meet in the hotel lobby at noon. Tess, Isabel, why don't you come with me and have the doctors look at your injuries? Maria, Michael, you're free to go to your rooms."

Maria continued pouting as Tess and a limping Isabel walked off with Anderson. "Look what you did," she accused Michael. "Hurting Tess and Isabel, losing the pot five thousand dollars. Mole!"

"What?" Michael asked. "Don't you think you'd know if I were the mole?"

"No! When have I ever known something you didn't want me to?" She folded her arms and stared at him.

"Good point," Michael mused. "I guess I would make a great mole." He grinned at Maria.

Maria suddenly laughed. "Okay, I give up. I'll be my cheerful self again."

"Good. I like you much better that way." Michael put his arm around Maria's shoulders. "Come on. Let's check out our rooms. See if they're any different from the carbon copies we've been staying in."

******

Michael and Maria were in the back on the hotel, playing Ping Pong when they were joined by Tess and Isabel.

"Isabel! You're on crutches!" Maria exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

Isabel sat down on a nearby bench. "Yeah. The doctor said it was just a sprain. I have to stay off my feet for a while, though."

"That sucks. What about you, Tess?"

Tess shrugged. "The doctor claims it's only a bruise." She made a face. "Too bad it doesn't *feel* like "only" a bruise."

"Will you guys be okay for the next challenge?" Michael asked.

Isabel shrugged. "We should be. Anderson promised to go easy on us."

"That's good," Maria said. "We don't need to lose any more money! Do you guys want to play?" she held out her Ping Pong racket to Tess and Isabel.

"No thanks," Tess answered. "I don't care what the doctor says, my arm *hurts*!" She took a seat beside Isabel.

"And it's kinda hard to play on crutches," Isabel put in. "Sorry."

"That's okay. You can cheer me on!"

The contestants passed the rest of the ay in a lazy fashion and went to bed early in order to be bright and well-rested for the next day's challenge.

******

It was noon and the Roswellians had gathered in the hotel lobby.

"Are you ready?" Anderson asked, rubbing his hands together.

"If we say no, can we skip the challenge and just get the money?" Maria asked hopefully.

"Oh trust me, you'll like this one. I've divided you into pairs. Michael and Maria, you're together because I like to see you argue, so that puts Isabel and Tess together."

"Great," Michael said. "Now if you could just tell us what the challenge is?"

"I'm getting there." Anderson pulled out more blindfolds.

Tess groaned. "More blindfolds! I quit!"

Anderson shrugged. "Tess, you're blind again. So is Michael." He handed them the blindfolds.

"So far I like this game." Maria grinned as she tied Michael's blindfold on.

"I don't!" Tess grumbled.

Anderson grinned. "Sorry, Tess, but Isabel's already on crutches. It wouldn't be fair to blind her as well!"

"Now what do we do?" Michael asked.

"Simple," Anderson said. "For twenty thousand dollars, Michael and Tess each have to produce an edible batch of cookies within one hour."

"Blindfolded?" Michael asked.

"Of course! Maria will guide you, Michael, and Isabel will be in charge of Tess. You can't touch your partners, but you can talk to them."

"Good," Maria said. "The last challenge was awful!"

"Is everyone ready?" Anderson asked. "Good! Then it's on to the kitchen! Maria, Isabel. Your first task is to guide your partners to the kitchen. Remember, you can't touch them!"

Anderson led the way to the kitchen, where all sorts of ingredients were laid out on the counter. "Did everyone make it?" Anderson asked.

"Yes, but I think Maria ran me into at least ten different objects!" Michael complained.

"Sorry, but it's your own fault for not obeying my instructions."

"Calm down, you two," Isabel broke in, as she attempted to balance on her crutches. "Let's start this challenge!"

Anderson began talking again. "As you can see, all the necessary ingredients, as well as two copies of the recipe are on the counter. Isabel and Maria, remember that you can't touch your partners, the ingredients or any of the supplies, except for the eggs. Your only assistance is verbal. Got it? Your time begins now."

"All right," Michael said. "Cookies. I've got this down." He began walking forward, his hands held out in front of him. "Where's the counter? Ow!"

"Right there," Maria informed him, a small grin on her face.

"You couldn't have told me that five seconds ago?"

"You couldn't have waited for me to tell you?" Maria shot back. "Now are you ready to listen? Your bowl on the counter, about two feet away from you. No! Two feet the *other* way."

Not far from Michael and Maria, Isabel was patiently guiding Tess. "Alright," Isabel said, from her perch on a nearby chair. "The first thing you have to do is cream the shortening, sugars, eggs, and vanilla together. Cream? I don't get it."

"Mix it together," Tess explained. "Don't you know how to cook?"

"I can make soup," Isabel replied. "Usually."

"I won't ask." Tess reached out towards the counter. "Where are the measuring cups?"

"A little to your right. Yeah, there." Isabel's words were interrupted by a large crash.

Tess jumped. "What was that?"

"Michael dropped his bowl," Maria answered. "You'll have to get it yourself, Michael. I can't touch it, remember?"

"I know, I know," Michael grumbled, stooping down to the floor. "A little help here?"

  
"It's right in front of you. Good. Now, let's get started." Maria scanned the list of ingredients. "We need half a cup shortening. Oh, wait! We need to preheat the oven first!"

"What?" Isabel asked. "Where does it say that?" She looked at her own recipe.

"It doesn't," Maria explained. "You just have to know."

"You just have to know?" Isabel asked incredulously. "*How* can you just know?"

"*Everyone* knows that," Michael said. "Come on, Isabel. You're a girl. You should know how to cook."

Maria sighed. "Michael. Do I even need to point out how blatantly sexist that was?" Before Michael could respond, Maria went on. "Never mind. Let's get that oven preheated."

On the other side of the counter, Tess managed to scrape the shortening out of the cup into the bowl. "What's next?"

"One-half cup granulated sugar." Isabel scanned the countertop. "I don't think we have that kind."

Maria tried to hide a smile. "White sugar, Isabel, white sugar. I hate to agree with Michael, but shouldn't you know this?"

"What?" Isabel asked defensively. "I'm the princess. I've never had to cook. I'm the normal one with two parents, remember? You're all the ones with abnormal family lives who have to pitch in with the cooking."

"Never thought having no parents would come in handy," Michael said, as he dumped his own granulated sugar into his bowl.

"We'll have to sign you up for home ec when we get home." Maria grinned at Isabel. 

A couple of minutes later and Maria and Michael had begun beating their ingredients together.

"Keep the beaters in the bowl!" Maria squealed. "You're splattering me with cookie dough! Yum." She added, as she scraped some cookie batter from her cheek.

"Ew!" Isabel exclaimed. "That's gross, Maria. There are raw eggs in that!"

"Now, I know you've never baked. Taste-testing is the most important part of the cookie making process!"

"Did I get egg shells in here, Isabel?" Tess asked. 

Isabel peered into the bowl. "No, I think you're okay. Now we need one t of vanilla. What's a t?"

"That depends," Tess answered. "Is it a big t or a little t?"

"A little t."

"That's a teaspoon. Big t's are tablespoons."

"This cooking thing is complicated. Once you have the vanilla in, we can start 'creaming' the ingredients. See! I know cooking terminology!"

"Yeah, but we're still beating you." Michael pointed out. "We're already on the dry ingredients."

"As long as we're done in an hour, it doesn't matter who finishes first," Tess said, as she turned on her beaters.

"I think I've stirred enough," Michael said a couple of minutes later. "What do you think?"

Maria peered into the bowl of dry ingredients. "Looks good. Now we can blend it all together."

"We're catching up to you!" Tess exclaimed, as she started stirring her own dry ingredients. 

"Okay, Michael," Maria said a little later. "We're ready for the most important ingredients: the chocolate chips!"

With Maria's instructions, Michael was able to locate the chocolate chips. He immediately put a handful in his mouth.

"Michael!" Maria scolded. "No eating the ingredients!" 

Michael rolled his eyes, but followed Maria's command. He stirred the chocolate chips into the batter. Within minutes, he was dropping cookie dough onto baking sheets.

"This is the hardest part," Michael remarked, as he attempted to put some dough on his spoon.

"No kidding," Tess said, as she dropped a teaspoonful of dough onto the counter.

Nevertheless, the Roswellians produced two edible batches of cookies with ten minutes to spare.

"Yum!" was Anderson's only comment as he sampled his first cookie. Five cookies later, he stopped eating long enough to speak again. "You definitely passed this challenge. Twenty thousand dollars go into the pot. You're now up to $383,000. Next execution is tomorrow night. See you then." Anderson walked off, his hands full of cookies.

******

"It's me," Michael insisted, as he and Maria walked to the execution. "I'm the only guy left. It's obvious."

"Unless you're the mole," Maria pointed out. "After all, a male mole would want to surround himself with females, wouldn't he?"

"I thought you didn't suspect me!"

"I didn't say that. I just said I wouldn't *want* to suspect you."

Michael shook his head. "Thanks. I think. Besides, the mole doesn't pick who goes off. You have to screw it up for yourself."

"That's a nice way of putting it," Maria said sarcastically. "I'm going to feel so much better about myself when I get executed in five minutes!"

In the end, however, it was Tess who left.

Tess sighed as the red fingerprint appeared above her name. "Well, I did say I never expected to get this far, didn't I?"

"I'll miss you," Maria said, as she hugged Tess. "Really."

"Me, too," Isabel chimed in, as attempted to hug Tess without dropping her crutches. "Maria and I are losing our best shopping partner."

Michael, too, gave Tess a departing hug. "See you soon."

With one last wave, Tess left the room, leaving the remaining three contestants alone. Within days, one would be at least $383,000 richer, one would be revealed as the mole, and one would go home empty-handed.


	8. Chapter Eight

Title: Rosmole

Author: Kata (katayla@juno.com)

Disclaimer: For all you legal people out there who haven't realized it: Roswell's not mine and The Mole's not mine. If they were, then Roswell wouldn't be canceled and there would definitely be a Mole III.

Rating: PG

Author's Notes: Enjoy! J 

******

Ten friends playing for up to one million dollars. Among them a saboteur, a traitor, the mole. The winner? The one who answers the question, who is the mole?

"Michael! Michael!" Maria peered into the darkened room, but there was no response from the figure curled up on the bed. She stepped into the room, over to the bed, and began shaking Michael.

"What?" Michael groaned. "Maria? Why are you here?"

"I wanted to talk to you." Maria plopped down on the bed.

"And you had to do it at," Michael peered at the clock, "4:30 in the morning."

"Yep," Maria answered cheerfully.

"How'd you get in here, anyhow?"

"Convinced the security guard that I got locked out of my room."

"Or else you're the mole."

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"About being the mole? I don't think you're supposed to tell me that."

Maria snatched a pillow out from under Michael and hit him with it.

"Ow! That's my pillow!" Michael protested.  


"Well, now it's mine." Maria placed the pillow against the wall and leaned against it. "There, that's better!"

Michael closed his eyes. "Are you going to tell me why you're here or should I just go back to sleep?" 

"Of course, I'm going to tell you why I'm here." Maria reached over to Michael and tried to pry his eyes open.

"Ouch! Maria!" Michael complained as he opened his eyes. "Talk, then! You've never had a problem talking before."

"Okay." Maria sighed. "It's just . . . we're in the final three, Michael. I didn't even dare dream that I would be in the final three, let alone that we would be together. You're the one person I would have chosen to be with for the entire game."

"But?" Michael prompted.

Maria sighed again. "Only one person can win the money, Michael. What if one of us wins? Or worse, what if one of us is the mole and has been lying throughout the whole game? What will it do to *us*? We just got back together, Michael. I don't want to lose you."

Michael reached over to hold Maria's hand. "Maria. We have been through so much together. If we managed to make it through every disaster imaginable, one game isn't going to tear us apart."

"Promise?"

"Promise. Come here." Michael pulled Maria down to him. She curled up at his side and they stayed like that until morning.

******

Michael, Maria, and Isabel were already assembled in the hotel lobby when Anderson walked in.

"Good, you're all here!" Anderson smiled. "Are you ready for the last six days?"

"Six!" Maria exclaimed. "Don't you mean three? Every three days, there's an execution. That's the rule."

"Nope." Anderson shook his head. "You only *thought* that was the rule. The rule is there are three days for each person, except the mole. Obviously, we can't have just two contestants. They would know who the mole is. So you guys get six extra days."

Maria frowned. "I'm not even sure that made sense. I think you just wanted to torture us for three extra days."  


"No, that's just a bonus."

"I'm the one who's being tortured." Isabel grumbled. "Stuck here with these two." She jerked her thumb at Michael and Maria, who had wedged themselves into the same armchair.

"I feel your pain," Anderson said sincerely. "Anyhow, we decided to let you stay in this hotel for one more day."

"What about challenges?" Isabel asked.

"Oh, you still have one of this," Anderson assured her. He pulled two blindfolds out of his pocket.

Michael groaned. "More blindfolds! Haven't we used them enough?"

Anderson didn't answer, but instead threw the blindfolds at Michael and Maria. "These are for you guys. Isabel, you get the wheelchair, since you're already injured." He gestured at the wheelchair that had stood unnoticed by the wall.

"Two blind people and one person in a wheelchair? Anderson, I must ask: are you crazy?" Maria asked.

"I don't come up with the challenges!" Anderson defended himself.

"Forget about that," Isabel said. "What do we have to do?"

"And how much to we win?" Michael wanted to know.

"It's simple. All you have to is make it through a labyrinth within half an hour."

"Simple!" Maria protested. "Maybe if we could get rid of these blindfolds."

Anderson grinned at her. "You have to depend on each other. That is, if you want to win the $40,000."

Maria sighed. "You know I'll do it. Lead us to the maze!"

Anderson led the group outside the hotel. In the back of the hotel was a beautiful garden, containing a set a tall hedges: the labyrinth.

"Wow," Isabel said. "I never thought I'd actually get to see one of these."

"We don't!" Maria snorted. "Michael and I have to wear blindfolds."

"Speaking of blindfolds, you better get those on." Anderson helped Maria and Michael tie on their blindfolds. "And into the wheelchair, Isabel!"

"Sure," Isabel said, as she took her place in the wheelchair. "I like this challenge. I don't have to bother with my crutches." 

"I'll take those," Anderson said, grabbing Isabel's crutches.

"Yeah, but you're the one navigating us," Maria said to Isabel. "You still have work to do!"

"I know."

"Okay," Anderson said. "If you're all ready, then it's time to begin the challenge. You'll have 30 minutes to make it to the middle of the labyrinth. You'll know you're there when you see all the cameras and me."

"Wait a minute," Michael said. "How will you get to the center?"

"Oh, I know all the shortcuts. You guys have to do it the hard way. Your time starts now."

"How do you want to do this?" Isabel asked. 

"Why don't Maria and I each grab a handle and push you?" Michael suggested. "That Maria and I won't run into anything."

"As long as you don't run *me* into anything!"

"That's kinda up to you." Maria pointed out. "We can't see."

"True."

"So, where are you?" Michael asked, reaching out his hands.

"Right in front of you," Isabel answered. "There! You okay, Maria?"

"Yeah," Maria said, as she grabbed the second wheelchair handle.

"We're right in front of the entrance of the maze," Isabel said, "so you just need to push me forward. That's enough!" She added quickly.

"Now where?" Michael asked.

"I don't know. Either left or right. What do you guys think? Both directions look good."

"Just pick a direction," Maria said. "It probably doesn't matter that much right now."

"Right, then." Isabel decided. "Please don't tip me."

Isabel directed them down the maze and around a corner. "Okay, we are actually in the maze now, instead of just the outer wall," she told them.

"This is really boring, you know," Maria said. "I don't get to see the maze."

"It's actually not that exciting," Isabel said. "Now that we're in the maze, all I can see is big, green hedges. Turn left," she added.

"More exciting than the darkness I see," Michael pointed out.

"True," Isabel agreed. "Oh, dead end. Turn around. Careful!" she exclaimed, as her wheelchair nearly tipped over. "I don't need to hurt myself again!"

"Sorry. Straight now?"

"Yeah, and then we'll try turning right."

"Aren't you supposed to turn all rights are all lefts in a maze?" Maria asked.

"Sounds familiar," Michael said, "but I don't remember the exact rule. Isabel?"

"Sorry. Besides, I never understood how that worked. It seems like you'd just run into dead ends. All right, here's where you turn right."

They continued on for a little longer. Maria sighed. "Any idea if we're close?" she asked Isabel.

"I think so," Isabel answered. "No, actually I don't know, but we should be, don't you think?"

Maria laughed. "You're so comforting."

"I try."

After a while, Isabel spoke up again. "Do you think I could keep this wheelchair? It would be nice to just be pushed around all day."

"As long as I'm not the one pushing, go ahead!" Michael said. "Pushing wheelchairs is never fun, but it's even worse blindfolded!"

"I am doing some work." Isabel defended herself. "After all, I'm the one who has to do the directing. Oh, wait! Stop! Back up. We missed a turn."

"And you're just doing a great job directing," Maria said dryly.

"Oh, shut up. Hey! I think I see Anderson! Turn left."

"Is he there?" Maria asked. "I don't see him."

"You don't see anything." Michael pointed out.

"Go faster!" Isabel urged, ignoring the couple's bickering. 

Within seconds, they had arrived in the center of the labyrinth.

"Good job!" Anderson congratulated them. "You did that in only fifteen minutes!"

"Can I take this off?" Maria asked, gesturing towards the blindfold. "You're kind of cute, Anderson, and I'd like to see you."

"Hey!" Michael protested. "I thought I was the cute one!"

"Oh, I still like you best," Maria reassured him.

"Yes, you can take the blindfold off," Anderson answered.

"Wow!" Maria exclaimed, as she looked at her surroundings. "How are we going to find our way out of here?"

"We're just going to leave you here." Anderson told her.

"Anderson!" Maria moaned.

Anderson laughed. "We'll lead you out. Isabel, you can have your crutches back."

"But I liked the wheelchair!" Isabel protested. 

"Sorry. We need to take it back. Is everyone ready to return to the hotel?" He looked towards Maria and Michael, who were whispering to each other.

"Actually, could we stay here?" Michael asked, gesturing to Maria and himself. "Maria and I didn't really get a chance to try out the labyrinth.

Anderson shrugged. "Be my guest. Don't get lost. What about you, Isabel? Want to give the maze another chance?"

Isabel shook her head. "Once was enough. Besides, I have to see the doctor. He said he might let me off my crutches today."

"Sounds good. You can come with me, then. Good luck, guys!" Anderson said to Michael and Maria. "Oh! Before I forget, your next challenge is the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow we'll be switching hotels." He gave Michael and Maria little wave as he and Isabel left the center of the maze.

"More traveling. Sound thrilling." Maria rolled her eyes.

Michael shrugged. "We're used to it by now. Right now, the only traveling I'm interested in doing, is traveling out of the maze!"

"Sounds good to me. That's the way Anderson and Isabel went." Maria pointed to one of the openings in the hedge.

"We can't go the way they did. That would make it too easy."

Maria groaned. "Is this some kind of macho male thing? 'I have to do it *my* way or it doesn't count.'"

"'Macho male thing?'" Michael repeated. "Maria, for someone who's so picky about sexism, you're being awfully sexist."

"I'm allowed to. You're not," Maria said primly.

Michael shook his head, not willing to push the point. "Let's go." He headed towards the exit directly opposite from the one Anderson and Isabel had taken.

"Fine. We'll do it your way. Just don't blame me if we get hopelessly lost."

"I don't get lost."

"Oh, that's good to know," Maria said, sarcastically, following Michael around the corner. "I'm so comforted knowing I'm safe in your hands." They went around another corner. "Oh, look, Mr. 'I don't get lost', it's a dead end!"

"A minor setback," Michael countered. "We're not lost."

Maria shook her head, as she followed. "Want some help? Maybe I can find the right way."

"No. Girls are hopeless at directions."

Maria jaw dropped. "Michael!" she exclaimed, slapping at his shoulder. "Now who's being sexist! It was Isabel who got us in here."

"Good point," Michael said, rubbing his shoulder. "She must be the mole. No female could ever make it through the labyrinth alone."

Maria stuck her tongue out at him. "Jerk! I'm not talking to you."

"Good. I could use the quiet."

Maria glared at him.

As they came across another dead end, Maria spoke up. "You have no idea where we're going, do you?"

"I thought you weren't talking to me."

"Changed my mind." Maria paused. "Well, do you?"

"Know where I'm going?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe."

Maria smiled. "I do."

"Do not!"

"Well, not exactly, but I *do* know you just led us around in a circle." 

Michael raised his eyebrows. "If you think you can do better, than feel free to lead on."

"This way." Maria led them around a couple of bends. "Hm."

"Hm what? Don't tell me-- now you're lost!"

"Only a little."

"Maria, you can't be 'only a little' lost."

Maria crossed her arms over her chest. "I know we're not going in a circle anymore."

"Want some help?" Michael asked, with a smirk on his face.

"No!"

"Come on, Maria. 'Work together.' Isn't that what the game was all about?"

"Okay." Maria repented. "We'll do it together. Which way do you think we should go?"

"This way."

Once they started working together, Michael and Maria quickly made it out of the maze and made their way back the hotel.. They headed into the lobby, where they were greeted by a crutchless Isabel.

"Isabel! What happened to the crutches?" Maria asked.

"The doctor said I didn't need them anymore, but I should still rest my foot as much as possible."

"Guess that rules out shopping, doesn't it?" Maria asked.

Michael groaned. "You girls don't need to do any more shopping?"

Isabel grinned at Maria. "He's probably right."

Maria shrugged. "That's okay. I'm exhausted anyhow. I don't know how you managed to get us into the maze, Iz, because we sure had trouble getting out!"

"Remember those old books filled with mazes?" Isabel asked. "My family used to go on long car trips and Max and I would spend all our time with those mazes. We even made our own."

"Good thing you were the one navigating! Michael and I would have lost the money for sure."

"Sure, but you guys won money in other things. It's a team game."

"Except for the whole mole thing," Michael pointed out.

"True."

"I guess we're just staying around the hotel, then," Maria said. 

Isabel nodded and the group lapsed into a somewhat uneasy silence, as each friend suspected the others of being the mole.

*****

"Look!" Maria exclaimed. "I managed to fit all my stuff in my bags!" It was the next morning and the Roswellians had gathered in the hotel lobby.

"Barely." Michael laughed, pointing at one partially overstuffed suitcase.

Maria shrugged. "At least I didn't have to buy another bag."

Isabel smiled. "That would be bad. It would give you less money to spend on clothes."

Michael groaned. "She doesn't *need* more clothes! How many times do I have to say this?" She could probably wear a different outfit everyday for an entire year."

Maria looked thoughtful. "Not quite, but that's a good idea. Thanks, honey." She patted Michael on the cheek.

Michael just rolled his eyes.

"Everyone ready?" Anderson asked, as he walked up to the three friends.

"Yep, but I could use some help carrying my suitcases," Maria said.

Anderson grinned. "I don't think that's in my job description, but I guess I could give you a hand." He grabbed two of Maria's bags.

"Anderson, where are your bags?" Maria asked curiously, as they walked out of the lobby. "You change clothes. I know you have luggage."

Anderson laughed. "They're already loaded. Here's our car."

"Pretty," Isabel commented, stroking the vehicle's bright red side.

Michael rolled his eyes. "Only a girl would describe a car as 'pretty.' "

Maria slapped him, then turned to help Anderson put her bags in the car.

"What?" Michael complained.

"Sexism." Maria explained.

"Is everyone loaded?" asked Anderson, who had finally learned to ignore Michael and Maria's arguing. "Then let's go!"

"How far is this hotel?" Maria asked, as soon as they had got settled.

"About forty-five minutes," Anderson answered. "It's close to the Switzerland border."

"Really?" Isabel asked. "I always wanted to go to Switzerland."

"You'll have some free time today, if you want to check it out."

Isabel nodded. "That would be nice." She gazed out the window. "Germany's so pretty. I wish I could enjoy it just as a tourist."

"Have any of you done much traveling?" Anderson asked the group.

Maria shook her head. "Nope. I've been stuck in Roswell all my life."

"Me, too." Michael asked. "Although we have taken some road trips," he added, with a sly glance at Maria.

"Road trips?" Anderson asked.

Maria sighed. "Michael has a habit of taking my car and going to far away places with it."

Isabel burst out laughing. "I think you're exaggerating, Maria."

Anderson shook his head. "I'm don't understand."

Michael held up his hand. "*I* will explain. You see, occasionally I've needed to go on trips. Since I don't have a car, I borrow Maria's."

"Borrow?" Maria snorted. "Is *that* what you call it?"

Anderson still looked confused. "Never mind. I think I'm better off not knowing."

"Trust me," Isabel said, "you're right."

The rest of the trip passed uneventfully. In a little under an hour, they were pulling up to a large castle that looked as if it had come straight out of medieval fairy tale.

Maria stared out the window, gaping "Is that where we're staying? No way!"

Anderson grinned. "It's the last place you'll be staying. We wanted to make it nice."

Isabel was also staring out the window. "It's amazing."

"Wait until you see the inside," Anderson said. "It's gorgeous."

Anderson was right. The inside of the hotel was even more beautiful than the outside. It was furnished in the style of the middle ages, with all the connivances of the twenty-first century, such as lighting and heating.

Michael examined a tapestry depicting a battle between knights and a fire-breathing dragon. "I feel like I stepped into a King Arthur story."

The bedrooms were also amazing, with heavy brocade curtains and blankets covered in embroidery, as was the rest of the castle. Michael, Maria, and Isabel spent the rest of the day wandering around the castle, forgetting that they were in the middle of a game. Isabel even forgot that she wanted to visit Switzerland. Even with all the splendor surrounding them, when the next challenge came, they were ready.

******

"I hope you're all well rested," Anderson said early the next morning. They were gathered in a large field, just outside the castle. "You'll need to be alert for this next challenge. You've all commented on the atmosphere of the castle. It's like we've gone back in time a thousand years. We thought this next challenge should reflect that image." He rose his voice. "Boys!"

All of sudden, the contesting heard pounding. Within seconds three knights had rode in to view, complete with horses, armor, and shields. 

"Oh my gosh." Maria said. "What?"

Anderson grinned. "This is going to be a fun challenge. Have you heard of jousting?"

"Sure," Isabel said. "Knights rode towards each other with large sticks and attempted to knock each other off their horses."

"Right." Anderson confirmed. "Now, haven't you always wanted to try that?"

Maria groaned. "I don't think I like the way this is going. Isn't that dangerous?"

"We've made some changes to ancient jousting," Anderson explained. "You won't really be wearing amour. It's just for atmosphere. And you won't really be trying to knock each other off horses. The tip of your lance will be covered in red chalk. You just have to mark your opponent with the chalk. The rules are quite simple. You must each go against a knight in turn. You'll battle until all of one side is down. If your side is the last one standing, you win $40,000. If you're all defeated, you've lost the game and no money will be added to the pot. Any questions?"

"Yes!" Maria exclaimed. "We will get some sort of protection, right? I'm not excited about a suit of shining armor, but I don't want to get run through with a large stick, either. And will we really have to ride horses? Because horses and I don't get along very well."

"You'll have chest protection and a shield. And, yes, you have to ride horses. But they're very well behaved. If there's no more questions, than lets go get your equipment."

Anderson led the group to a pile of chest protectors, shields, and wooden lances. 

"Is it my imagination or are these catcher's chest protectors?" Maria asked. "As in baseball?"

Anderson shrugged. "We had to improvise. Just put it on."

The contestants soon outfitted themselves in the chest protectors and chose shields and lances.

"Do we get another one if these break?" Michael asked, swinging his lance around. 

"Nope. If your lance breaks, you're out of the game."

"In other words, be careful!" Maria ducked as Michael swung his lance near her head.

"It looks like you're all ready. Follow me to meet your mounts." Anderson led the group to the edge of the field.

"Can you ride?" Maria hissed at Isabel.

"Sort of. I took one lesson, when I was eight. What about you?"

"I've been on one trail ride. The horse ran away with me!"

"Here we are," Anderson announced, as they came to three chestnut horses. Across the field, their opponents had changed out of their armor into equipment similar to the Roswellians.

"I think I'll take that one." Maria pointed at the smallest horse. "That way I won't fall as far if he decides to throw me."

"She." Anderson corrected. "That's Daisy. Isabel's next to Rose and Michael has Daffodil."

"Flower names," Maria commented. "Pretty."

"Again with the pretty!" Michael said. "Horses are noble animals, certainly not 'pretty.'"

"Oh, I don't know, Michael," Isabel said, as she mounted Rose. "Horses can be pretty."

"If you say so," Michael said, also mounting his horse.

"I guess I need to climb on," Maria said doubtfully, staring at Daisy.

"Here, I'll give you a leg up," Anderson offered. With Anderson's help, Maria managed to get atop Daisy without too much trouble.

"Okay. I'm up. So far, so good." Maria stroked Daisy's mane.

"It's time to begin. Follow me." Anderson walked back towards the middle of the field, where a white line had been painted on the grass. The three mounted contestants followed him.

"Hey! She moved when I told her to!" Maria exclaimed.

"They generally do," an amused Isabel said.

Maria laughed. "Not the horses I've been on."

"Sh!" Michael commanded. "It's almost time."  


About one-hundred feet away from the contestants, their opponents had gathered. Each was a large man, mounted on a black horse. Anderson turned to face Michael, Maria, and Isabel.

"You will take turns riding against your opponents," he instructed. "Use your shield to block their shots. Remember, a fair shot is on their chest protector, no where else. If you're marked, you're out. If your lance breaks, you're out."

"What if you fall off your horse?" Maria wanted to know.

"Please don't," Anderson replied.

"Yes, but if you do?" Maria persisted.

"You're out." Anderson told her. "Who would like to go first?"

The contestants exchanged nervous glances. Finally, Michael spoke up. "I will, I guess."

"All right. Do see that man holding the red flag out there? When he drops the flag, I'll yell, "go". When you reach the other riders, stop. Unless you're marked. Then you're out and it really doesn't matter what you do."

"Okay," Michael said nervously, moving Daffodil to the white line. 

"Go!" Anderson yelled, as the red flag dropped.

Michael kicked Daffodil and she raced across the field, towards the other rider. Michael attempted to hit his opponent, but was too far away. He reached the other side unscathed. 

Maria chose to go next. She was so nervous that she never came within ten feet of the other rider.

"Chicken," Michael commented, when she reached the other side. Maria stuck her tongue out at him.

It was Isabel's turn next. "All right!" she yelled, as she galloped towards her opponent. She managed to knock her opponents shield away and mark his chest protector, but unfortunately, in doing so, she left herself unprotected and she was also marked.

"A double kill." Anderson said, as he walked past the two riders. "Impressive. Isabel, you can wait on the side and cheer for your teammates."

"Oh great," Maria said to Michael. "She was the only one who knew anything about horses."

"She did take out her opponent," Michael pointed out. "That's more than we did. And I know some about horses. I just haven't ridden much before."

Maria frowned. "Whatever. I'll do better next time."

Anderson had arrived by their side. "Ready for the next round?"

"Not really," Michael said, "but I doubt we have a choice."

Both Michael and Maria came closer to hitting their opponents, but still missed. The third time, Maria nearly got hit, but managed to deflect her opponents lance with her shield. The fourth round, they both missed the other rider by miles.

Anderson walked over to them. "Come on, you guys. We don't have all day! Well, actually we do, but that's besides the point."

"I almost got him!" Maria exclaimed. "And riding isn't so bad after all."

Anderson smiled. "That's good to hear. Are you ready, Michael? Go!"

Michael rode out towards the middle of the field, towards his opponent, his lance at the ready. At he neared his opponent, he thrust out his lance. The other rider reflexively threw his shield in front of him. Michael's lance hit the shield with such force that the wood splintered and his lance broke in two. 

Maria groaned. "Are you all right?" She called out to Michael. He nodded.

"Sorry, Michael," Anderson said. "Join Isabel over on the side."

Anderson turned to Maria. "Are you ready?"

"No!" Maria exclaimed. "I can't take out two of them by myself!"

Anderson shrugged. "I'll take that as a 'yes.' Ready? Go!"

As Maria rushed across the field, Michael and Isabel were having a whispered conversation.

"Do you think she can do it?" Michael asked.

"I don't know." Isabel bit her lip. "And what if she's the mole? She wouldn't do it, then."

"Unless she wanted to throw us off track," Michael said thoughtfully.

"True."

They were interrupted by a shriek of excitement. On her second pass, Maria had managed to mark an opponent.

"Good job!" Anderson said. "Do that one more time and you'll have won the game. 

Maria nodded in excitement. "This game gets to you. I do feel like I've gone back it time. Only then I wouldn't be riding, would I? I'd just be a spectator."

"Well, go out there and show them why girls aren't spectators anymore." Anderson encouraged. "Go!"

Maria, atop of Daisy, ran across the field one last time. As she neared her opponent, she grasped her lance more tightly. The other rider, with his longer reach, struck first, but Maria managed to block his blow with her shield. He faltered, giving her an opening. Maria thrust her lance at him, managing to make it past his shield, marking his chest protector. 

"I did it!" she squealed. "We won!" she held up her lance in victory.

Michael and Isabel ran out to congratulate her.

"Good job!" Isabel exclaimed

"I knew you could do it," Michael said, reaching up to pat her on the knee.

"I didn't!" Maria laughed.

"Congratulations," Anderson said, as he walked up to the contestants. "That brings your pot up to $473,300. You may all return to the hotel-- or rather, the castle."

Michael held out his hand to help Maria dismount from the horse. "Thanks," she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Did you change your mind about horses?" Isabel asked.

"What? Oh, maybe. At least about Daisy. I don't know about any other horses."

"What about moles?" Michael asked.

Maria rolled her eyes. "I think the mole had something to do with that game."

Isabel laughed. "The mole had something to do with every game."

"I know. This game is driving me crazy! I'm even analyzing Anderson's actions and I know he's not the mole!"

Michael looked thoughtful. "Let's see. Who was the most suspicious?"

Maria groaned. "You're not going to analyze our actions in front of us, are you?"

Michael shook his head. "No. At this point in the game, I'm keeping everything a secret."

"Me, too," Isabel said, as they walked into the castle.

Maria nodded. "I'm going up to my room. I need to think."

"Me, too.," Isabel said.

"Me, three," Michael agreed. The group feel silent as they walked up the stairs. The excitement of the game had been forgotten in the suspicions that were going through all their heads.

For the rest of the day, the contestants remained sequestered in their rooms, each busy with his or her own thoughts. Two of them were busy analyzing every suspicious action the others had made and the third was planning even more suspicious actions. In three days, they would know the truth.


	9. Chapter Nine

Title: Rosmole (9/10)

Author: Kata (katayla@juno.com)

Disclaimer: Oddly enough, they still don't belong to me.

Rating: PG

Author's Notes: I'm not quite sure what happened with this part. I got to within a couple paragraphs of the end of this part and then I just…stopped. Well, actually, part of it was the business of getting ready for college and then settling in at college. But mostly it was just me being lazy. J Sadly, this story is drawing to an end. One more part and you'll have all the answers. 

*****

Ten friends playing for up to one million dollars. Among them a saboteur, a traitor, the mole. 

"Where exactly are we going?" Maria asked as she, Isabel, and Michael climbed into the mole van, parked outside of their castle-like hotel.

"Into town," Anderson answered. "It's all part of the next challenge." He stepped into the van and closed the door.

Michael groaned. "Haven't we had enough challenges?"

"Not quite," Anderson said, with a sympathetic grin. "Don't you want to win more money?"

Michael perked up. "Another challenge sounds great!"

"Don't be greedy, Michael," Maria said, as she lay her head down on Michael's shoulder. "How long will it take to get there?" 

"Not long," Anderson replied, as the van pulled onto the main road. "Ten, fifteen minutes."

"Oh. That's not long enough for a nap." Maria lifted her head of Michael's shoulder.

"You did have all last night to sleep." Michael pointed out.

"I know. I couldn't sleep. I'm too suspicious of everyone."

Michael shrugged. "I slept. These middle age beds are great!"

"Leave her alone, Michael." Isabel spoke up. "Not everyone has your talent of sleeping anywhere, anytime."

"Probably a good thing, too," Maria said, sticking her tongue out at Michael. "Or we'd have as bad of grades as he does."

"Hey!" Michael protested. "I don't always sleep during class."

"That's true." Maria tilted her head. "Most of the time you just skip them."

"You could help me out, Anderson," Michael complained. "It's not fair. Two girls ganging up on me."

Anderson held up his hands. "I'm just the host, Michael."

Isabel smiled. "Are you afraid of two girls, Michael?"

"No. I'm afraid of you and Maria! There's a difference."

"Poor baby." Maria relented, rubbing Michael's arm.

"That doesn't help," Michael said. "Now you're treating me like a little kid."

Maria shrugged, and then leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "That better?"

"Never mind." Michael slumped back in his seat and pouted for the rest of trip.

"Here we are," Anderson announced, as they all piled out of the van. "Right in the center of town. See?" He pointed at a handwritten sign that had been posted on a nearby lamp. It read 'center of town.'

Isabel rolled her eyes. "You guys need to get a life."

"I thought it was funny!" Anderson defended himself. "Let's move on. This next challenge is worth $20,000. You three seem to know each other fairly well. This next challenge will test how will you know the executed players. Each of them told us their most embarrassing moment. Your job is to match up the embarrassing moments with who said them. If you get at least four right, you win the challenge. Miss more than three and you won't earn any money. Make sense?"

"Sure," Maria said. "But couldn't we have done this back at the hotel?"

Anderson frowned. "And miss this beautiful town?" he gestured around at the dingy buildings.

Isabel rolled her eyes. "I don't think you're in the same town as I am."

Anderson shrugged. "It's a change of scenery. You guys have been sitting around the hotel all day. Anyway, ready for the challenge? Come here." He led them across the street to where a white board had been set up. "As you can see, the seven moments have been written on this white board. Here are cards with the names of the seven executed players. Put the cards next to the correct statement. You have one hour. Good luck." He walked off.

"Alright," Isabel said. "This shouldn't be too bad. We've known everyone for a long time. We probably witnessed most of these moments, right?"

"I'm not sure, " Michael replied, reading the statements. "Look at these. 'My mom told my crush that I liked her,' 'I was the only one to wear a Halloween costume to my first boy/girl party…' These are hard!"

"The last one is Alex," Maria said. "Remember? He spent weeks on that costume-- I think he wanted to impress you, Iz-- and everyone laughed at him."

"Well, it didn't help that he was dressed up as a dinosaur." Michael pointed out. He stuck the 'Alex' card on the board. "That's one down. Either of you know who's mom spilled their crush?"

"No," Isabel said. "But at least we knew it's a boy, since the crush is a girl."

"Let's be logical about this," Maria said. "If you don't know about it, it's probably not Max. We already know Alex's most embarrassing moment. Kyle's mom left when he was a little boy, so it's not him."

"So that leaves Valenti," Michael said, and then frowned. "Do you really think it's him?"

"We can always come back to it," Isabel said. "Let's just put his name by it for now."

Maria nodded. "Okay. Here's the next one: 'On my first day of school, I had to try out for the school musical. Since I'm absolutely tone deaf, it didn't go well.' That doesn't sound too embarrassing."

"Yeah, but you can sing." Isabel pointed out. "It would be awful for me."

"Me, too." Michael agreed. "Who is it?"

"I've gone to the same school as Liz and Kyle forever, so it's not either of them." Maria volunteered.

"And it's not Max," Michael said. 

"That leaves us with Tess or Maria's mom."

"Or it could be the Sheriff, if we're wrong about the last one," Maria said.

Isabel groaned. "Let's not second guess ourselves! Who do you want to go with?"

"How about Tess?" Michael suggested. "She's gone to a lot of different schools. She's probably had a lot of embarrassing first days."

"Sounds good. Next questions," Isabel read, "I told my basketball coach that I was sick and couldn't make practice. He came by my house to check on me and caught me making out with my girlfriend.' "

"Kyle. The girlfriend was Liz." Maria smiled. "She also lied about what she was doing."

"That was easy," Michael said. "Three more 'most embarrassing moments.' How about this one? 'On my first day as a waitress, I spilled three cups of coffee and dropped three plates of food.' Liz? It's not Max. What about your mom, Maria?"

"No, it's Liz. It was my first day, too. And I actually dropped more than she did."

"Wow. We're going fast," Isabel commented.

Maria nodded. "We won't even need the whole hour! Or a half-hour!"

"We will if you don't stop talking about it and read the next question," Michael said.

Maria stuck her tongue out at Michael. " 'My mom caught me sneaking out my window at midnight on a school night.' Max? I know he sneaks at to meet Liz all the time."

Isabel nodded. "It's Max. My mom woke up everyone yelling at him."

"So that means, 'My boyfriend told my mom he was having sex with me' is Maria's mom. Maria?" Michael turned to his girlfriend.

"Yes, that's her. She actually told me about that," Maria said, looking a little queasy. "Which you can add to the list of things I did *not* want to know!"

Michael rubbed her arm sympathetically. "Ah, poor Maria."

"The good news is, we're done!" Isabel announced. "Now we just have to wait for Anderson."

A couple of minutes later, Anderson arrived. "Hey! You guys are fast!" He looked at the whiteboard. "And good! You got all of those right." He frowned. "Whoever is the mole, remember you're supposed to hinder, not help!"

Maria laughed. "We just know each other too well, you can't fool us!"

Anderson shrugged. "Well, that $20,000 for the pot, bringing you up to $493,000. Your last challenge will be tomorrow morning and the last quiz will be the day after that. Until then, you can do anything you want." He paused. "That is, anything within reason. We would prefer you not to murder or steal."

"We'll try not to," Michael reassured him. Anderson gave him a thumbs up and walked off. "What do you want to do?" he asked Maria.

"Oh, no!" Isabel protested. "You two aren't going off and leaving me all alone."

"Well, maybe you're the mole and need to go talk to the producers," Maria suggested.

Isabel rolled her eyes. "If I were the mole, I would talk to the producers late at night, while everyone else was sleeping." Her eyes narrowed. "You know, Maria, you snuck out an awful lot while we sharing a room."  


"Yeah, to see Michael!" Maria defended herself. "Michael, tell her!" she shoved him.

"Well, she is with me a lot," Michael said slowly. "Of course, she could just be using me as an excuse…."  
  
"Okay, okay!" Maria said. "I really want to spend this afternoon away from the game, alright? Let's just go shopping."

"No, no! No shopping! You don't need to go shopping!" Michael yelled.

Maria smiled slyly. "Of course, Isabel and I could go shopping on our own, which would leave *you* free to meet with the producers."

"What? I'm not the mole."

"Oh yeah?" Maria asked. "That sounds like something the mole would say."

"True." Isabel chimed in. "I think we all need to spend the rest of the day together doing something like, say, shopping!"

"What a great idea!" Maria enthused.

Michael rolled his eyes. "Fine, you girls win. Shopping it is!"

"Yay!" Maria exclaimed, kissing him on the cheek. "I'll even buy you a present!"

******

By the next morning, the contestants' demeanor had grown serious. They had gathered in the hotel lobby for their final challenge.

"Oh, our last challenge," Maria said. "I can't wait for all the mistrustfulness and lying to be over, but-- it's so sad!"

Michael laughed at her. "Come on, Maria cheer up. You get to be a princess in this hotel. Much better than the first one we stayed in." He gestured around the room at the middle-aged splendor. The floors were concrete, but covered with warm rugs. Tapestries lined the walls and pillows were strewn around the room for people to sit on.

"I know I feel like a princess," Isabel said, from the lavender pillow she was sitting on. "I think I'll get rich someday and buy a castle."

"Because they're so common in Roswell," Michael said sarcastically.

"Well, I'll build one then!"

Anderson chose that moment to walk in. "Are you all ready for your last challenge? We decided to make this game a fun one."

"You're just going to give us the money?" Michael asked hopefully.

"Now where would be the fun in that?" Anderson asked.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Isabel said, laughing.

Anderson shook his head. "Never mind. Did any of you build forts when you were kids? You know, where you would take all the blankets in the house and put them over a table."

"Sure," Maria said. "What does that-- are you making us build a fort?"

Anderson grinned. "That's right. It has to be at least ten feet long. You know the drill; everything has to be covered, so it's all dark inside."

"Okay, but how do we win the money?" Michael asked. "And how much money is it?"

"$30,000," Anderson answered. "And to win it, I have to be able to enter the fort at one end and come out at the other end, without knocking any of it down."

Maria frowned. "You're not going to do anything to deliberately destroy it, are you?" She asked. "Because that wouldn't be fair."

"No, no," Anderson protested. "I'm on your side! I want you to win the money. You'll have one hour to complete the fort and you can use anything in this room. Have fun." He gave them a little wave and left the room.

"How exactly does this work?" Michael asked. "I never build a fort before."

"Never?" Maria gasped. "You must have led a deprived childhood! They're so much fun! Isabel, you know how to build a fort, don't you?"

"Of course," Isabel said. "Max and I spent one entire summer hiding out under out dining room table."

"It's easy, Michael," Maria said. "You just cover tables and chairs and things with blankets. Then you climb inside and it's all dark and spooky."

"Only we probably shouldn't use chairs." Isabel pointed out. "Remember, Anderson has to be able to crawl through it."

Maria shook her head. "We can still use them. See, if you put the chairs back to back you have more room underneath." She demonstrated with a couple of nearby chairs painted to look like medieval thrones. "Do you think we have enough chairs and things to make a ten foot long fort?"

"We must," Michael replied. "They wouldn't give us an impossible challenge. Look, that table must be four feet long. And those chairs make it, probably five feet long. We're halfway there already."

"Oh, and we have that couch over there," Maria pointed. 

"But that's only one side," Isabel protested. "We need two sides to cover it in blankets."

"Oh," Maria pouted, then smiled. "Wait! We can just use those chairs on the other side of it."

"Great," Michael said. "Let's start putting this together. Maria, give me a hand with the couch?"

Maria rolled her eyes. "That's right. I'm dating you, so now you can just order me around." She went to help him anyway. They brought the couch over to the table and Isabel place the chairs across from the couch.

"The chairs aren't quite as long as the couch." Isabel realized.

"We can use something else." Maria looked around the room. "What about that display thingy?" She pointed to a cabinet that displayed several swords and shields.

"Looks heavy," Michael commented.

"Oh, you poor little weak boy. Don't worry, I'll help you." Maria patted him on the head.

He glared at her. "Let's just move it, okay?"

They moved over to the display case. "Wow, this *is* heavy."

"Told you so."

"Isabel? Can you give us some help?"

"Oh sure, sorry."

With Isabel's help, the Roswellians managed to move the display case next to the chairs.

"That's a lot taller than the coach." Michael pointed out. "The fort's going to be all lopsided."

"They always are," Maria reassured him. "I think the display case made this side ten feet long, but now we need to add something to the other side and we're out of tables and chairs. And display cases."

"What about the cushions?" Isabel asked. "We could pile them up and make a wall of sorts."

"I don't know," Maria said doubtfully. "They would probably fall down."

"I don't think we have much choice, Maria. The middle ages weren't really big in the furniture department." Michael gestured around the sparsely furnished room. "We do have a lot of cushions, though."

Maria shrugged. "I guess so. Why don't you guys do that? I'll start collecting rugs and tapestries and things for the fort."

Isabel and Michael began stacking pillows and soon had enough to complete the basic frame of the fort.

"Oh, good!" Maria exclaimed, as she pulled a tapestry from the wall. "Now all we have to do is put the blankets on!"

"Come on, Michael," Isabel said, taking up a rug. "Help me put this over the fort."

Michael followed Isabel's instructions. "Okay," he said. "So we just drape these blankets over the fort?"

"That's right."

Michael shook his head. "I'm sorry. I just don't see the fun in this."

Maria rolled her eyes as she brought more tapestries over to Michael and Isabel. "Michael, must you always be so cynical?"

"Maria, must you always be so cynical?"

Isabel shook her head. "Come on, you two, let's finish this fort." She grabbed a tapestry from Maria. "We don't have a lot of time left."

With all three contestants working together, the fort was swiftly completed. The friends stood back to survey their work.

"I'm sorry," Michael said, as he gazed at their lopsided, multicolored creation, "but I still don't see the wonder of forts."

"Michael, how can you say that?" Maria cried. "Go in the fort, you'll see. Oh, no, wait! Don't!" She grabbed his arm.

"What?" A confused Michael asked.

"Don't go in. What if you're the mole and you ruin the fort? Then all that hard work would be ruined!"

Michael groaned. "I am not going to ruin the fort."

"And that's exactly what the mole would say." Maria pointed out.

"I'm not the mole!" Michael protested.

"The mole would say that, too."

Before Michael could respond, Isabel broke in. "It doesn't matter anyway. Anderson's back." She pointed towards the door.

"I see you've finished the fort," Anderson said, smiling. "Now let's see if it passes the test." Anderson dropped to his hands and knees. "It's been a while since I've done this." He began to crawl through the fort.

"What do you think?" Maria called to him.

"Very nice," Anderson replied. "Nice and dark." He emerged from the other side. "Great job, guys. You earned that money. That brings the final pot to a total of $523,000. Congratulations."

Maria shrieked in celebration. "Yes!" She hugged Isabel and kissed Michael.

Anderson smiled at her. "Don't celebrate yet. Your final quiz will be tomorrow evening. I'll see you then." He turned and walked out of the room.

"Tomorrow." Maria bit her lower lip. "Doesn't it seem as we've been playing this game forever? And like we've just started yesterday?"

"As usual, that made no sense," Michael said, putting an arm around her.

Maria shoved him away. "You know what I mean!"

"I do, anyway," Isabel said. "But tomorrow it will all be over, for better or worse."

"We'll get to see everyone else, too," Maria said, brightening. "That will be fun."

"The quiz won't be," Michael said. "Remember, it goes back to the beginning of the game."

Isabel sighed. "I guess it's too late to worry about that. I think I'm going to go back to my room and take a nap."

Maria nodded. "Me, too. Stress makes me sleepy. Oh! Wait! Michael, you have to go through the fort."

Michael groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Yes." Isabel jumped in. "For the little child inside of you who never got one."

Michael sighed and shook his head, but did as the girls asked. He quickly crawled through the fort and came out on the other side. "Are you happy now?" he asked. "It's still nothing exciting. It's just furniture with a bunch of blankets over it."

Maria sighed. "At least you tried. Let's go."

The trio of contestants departed into their separate rooms, each unsuccessfully trying to sleep. The remainder of that day and the next were spent uneasily examining each other's actions and cautiously comparing notes. Before they knew it, the next evening had arrived and it was time for the final quiz. They gathered in a spacious back room of the hotel, where Anderson had already arrived.

"Are you ready?" Anderson asked. "This is the final quiz. It is composed of twenty questions, covering the entire span of the game. Once you are finished, remain in the room, until I come and get you."

"This is it," Maria announced, biting her lip. "Good luck, everyone."

The three friends walked down the hallway, departing into three separate rooms. The game had come to this final quiz, where all would be revealed and one of them would walk away with half-a-million dollars and one would be revealed as a traitor. Soon, everyone would know the answer to the question, "who is the mole?"

TBC…

Sorry to end it with a cliffhanger, but I have to keep you all interested. J Leave me a review and tell me what you think, please!


	10. Chapter Ten

Title: Rosmole (10/10)

Author: Kata 

E-mail: Katayla@juno.com

Disclaimer: I only *think* they belong to me. In reality, I only own the story. Everything else belongs to TPTB.

Rating: PG

Summary: The Mole, with a Roswellian twist.

Author's notes: If I don't mention how long it's been for this story, will you ignore it too? This is the final part of Rosmole. I hope it was worth the wait. I'd really enjoy hearing what you thought of this fic, since I've spent so much time on it.

******

It had been nearly a month since they had gathered to begin the game and now it was nearly over. Anderson stood in the middle of the hotel's medieval-themed lobby, surrounded by the seven executed players.

"Welcome back," he greeted them. "I'm glad to see you all again. I'm sure you've all been anxious to know how your fellow contestants how done. I know Michael, Maria, and Isabel are also eagerly resulting their quiz results. First, however, we're interested in knowing how _you_ think they've done."

Alex groaned. "Just tell us already, Anderson. I'm dying of suspense!"

Anderson grinned. "Why don't you tell us what you think, Alex? Who do you think is the mole and who do think won?"

Alex looked thoughtful. "Well, I know Isabel and Maria the best, so they'd have a harder time fooling me. So, I guess I'll say Michael is the mole. Which makes Maria the winner."

"No, no," Amy disagreed. "I don't think it's Michael. I would know if my daughter's boyfriend was lying to me. It's a gift. Which unfortunately doesn't extend to my daughter. I think Maria's the mole and Michael's the winner."

Jim, who was seated next to Amy, shook his head at that. "I don't know. I think Isabel might be the mole. I guess that would make Maria the winner then. Girls generally know when other girls are lying."

Anderson laughed. "You guys seem to have a hard time agreeing. What does everyone else think?"

Tess bit her lip. "I think Michael's the mole. And, like Alex said, that would probably make Maria the winner. I don't think he's very good at lying to her."

Kyle disagreed. "I think Maria's the mole. She's just wacky enough to pull it off. And Michael's the winner.

"What do you two think?" Anderson asked Liz and Max who were holding hands and looked much happier than when they left the game.

"I think it's Isabel," Liz said. "I don't think Maria was lying to me. It could be Michael, but I don't think so. And I think Maria won."

Max shrugged. "I was only in the game for three days, but I don't think Isabel or Michael were lying to me. Maria's probably the mole. And I think Michael won."

Anderson smiled. "We'll find out soon if anyone of you are right. Maria, Michael and Isabel are waiting in the next room. Should we bring them in?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "I assume this is another one of your famous rhetorical questions?"

Anderson shrugged. "Let's bring them in then." He opened a door in front of the executed contestants. "Ladies, Michael, please join us."

The three remaining contestants walked. Michael and Maria were clinging to each other's hands, while Isabel walked a little behind them. 

"Well?" Maria asked.

Anderson raised his eyebrows. "Well?"

"Who's the mole? Did I win? Come on, Anderson!" Maria was nearly bouncing in her excitement.

Anderson smiled. "Did you really think I would just tell you? We have to give our audience some sort of ceremony." As Anderson finished speaking, three men, who the Roswell gang recognized as crew members rolled in three large boxes. On each box, a contestant's name was blazed in gold script. "I assume you're all familiar with the concept of the Jack-in-the-Box? You'll notice that each box has a handle on the side. Simply go to your box, turn the handle and eventually…well, you'll see for yourself."

Michael, Maria and Isabel went to their respective boxes. "Are you ready?" Anderson asked them. "Go!"

They began turning their handles. _The Mole's_ theme music filled the air, until suddenly all three boxes exploded nearly simultaneously. The Roswellians sat in silence for a moment, taking in the results.

Jim exclaimed. "I knew it!"

Isabel looked sheepish; a furry, brown animal-- a mole -- had popped out of her box. Meanwhile, Maria shrieked.

"You won!" she exclaimed, hugging Michael, who couldn't seem to take his eyes off the large dollar bill that had popped out of his box. Maria seemed oblivious to the fact that her own box had revealed nothing.

"Congratulations, man," Max said, coming up to shake Michael's hand, "and you!" he continued, shaking his finger at Isabel, "you're not supposed to lie to your own brother!"

"Or to your…er…me," Alex said, coming up to stand next to Isabel. "And Michael! Maria always said you were smarter than you pretended."

The others, too, quickly added their congratulations. 

Anderson stood a little apart, grinning at the tumult. "Would you all like to know how she did it?" 

"I do!" Alex exclaimed. "I took so many notes and they all led no where! How did you do it?" he asked Isabel, who was now sitting beside him.

"Yeah, and how did you figure it out?" Kyle asked Michael. "I totally blew my last quiz."

Michael grinned. "I'm a genius, didn't you know?"

"Who better be buying his girlfriend some awfully nice presents," Maria said, snuggling in closer to the newest winner of _The Mole_.

Isabel smiled. "And I'm still not sure how I managed to pull it off."

"Isabel's being modest," Anderson said. "She was a brilliant mole, so subtle in her sabotage that few of you ever picked her as the mole. That is, of course, until the end. Maria, you might be interested to know that Michael only beat you by one question."

Maria shrugged. "That's alright. He'll buy me something nice."

"That's what she thinks!" Michael mouthed off. Maria swiftly retorted with a jab to his ribs.

Liz shook her head. "I missed you guys, but I sure didn't miss your bickering."

Maria suddenly took a good look at her best friend, who had resumed holding hands with Max, and let out another squeal. "Liz! Max! Are you guys--? That's so great! Now you can go out on double dates with Michael and me again!"

Max laughed. "Slow down, Maria. Liz and I talked, and decided to give it a try again."

"We kind of couldn't stand being apart," Liz said softly.

"That's so great!" Maria exclaimed. "Now we're all paired off!"

"We're not a couple!" Alex and Isabel said in unison.

"Yeah, and neither are we." Kyle's assertion was less than credible, considering the arm he had around Tess' shoulder.

"Well, we _are_!" Amy declared from her place besides Jim. Maria made a face at that.

Anderson cleared his throat. "Would it bother anyone if we got back to the game?"

"It doesn't matter, does it?" Michael asked. "The game's over. I won. It doesn't matter how Izzy messed with us."

"I want to know," Alex insisted. 

Anderson smiled. "Let's start at the beginning. Isabel managed to pull off a successful sabotage during the very first challenge, when she let all the oil out of the van."

"That was you!" Kyle exclaimed. "I didn't know you knew anything about cars."

Isabel shrugged. "I don't. The producers told me what to do."

Anderson continued. "However, throughout most of the challenges, Isabel's sabotage was very subtle. Oh-- but there _is_ one thing some of you picked up on. Isabel was constantly put into scenarios where she had to battle her fear of height."

"Yeah, but Izzy really is scared of heights." Michael protested.

Anderson smiled. "Which is exactly why the producers used that fact."

Alex shook his head. "I can't believe it. That was one of the reasons I didn't suspect Isabel. I was sure she wasn't faking her fear."

"I wasn't!" Isabel said. "But it was all for the good of the game."

"Isabel's next big sabotage came in eighth challenge, when you all had to draw dares. The producers set it up so Isabel would only draw dares that you all knew she wouldn't complete."

"This isn't fair!" Alex protested. "I thought we were just supposed to find out the mole's sabotage. Nobody told me the producers would be against us, too!"

"I told you to watch my tapes of the first _Mole_," Maria said smugly.

"Well, the producers were against you in the next challenge, too, when you all had to get past snipers to rescue Maria. Isabel was able to get by snipers when the rest of you were not, because they knew her. However, in the end, she was shot to complete her sabotage."

Max shook his head. "Wow. This game is a lot more complex than I thought. I'm kind of glad I was the first execution. I knew you were devious Iz, but this is incredible."

Isabel smiled. "Just doing my job."

Anderson continued. "Isabel lay low over the next few days, not wanting to arouse suspicion. However, remember the game where you all had to walk back to the hotel, dealing with various disabilities? In that game, Isabel performed what may have been her biggest deception. You all thought she sprained her ankle, but it wasn't actually hurt at all."

Tess's mouth dropped open. "I can't believe it! That's what made me stop suspecting you!"

"When Isabel fell, she decided to use it to her advantage and pretended to have hurt her ankle. She asked the doctor to bandage it up, so that none of you would suspect her."

Michael shook his head. "I was pretty sure you were the mole by then, but I had no idea the sprained ankle was fake."

"It may comfort you to know that the ankle was Isabel's last big sabotage. After that, she went back to her subtle ways, even helping you guys win some challenges."

Isabel smiled. "Well, I wanted them to win at least a little money."

"And they did," Anderson said. "Despite Isabel's sabotage, you guys-- or should I say, Michael-- ended up with a pot of $523,000."

"But I helped him," Maria said. "I should get some of that."

"I'll give you a couple of bucks." Michael offered.

Maria rolled her eyes. "You better give me a lot more than that, if you know what's good for you, Spaceboy!"

Anderson smiled. "What are you going to do with all that money, Michael?"

Michael shook his head. "I have no idea. Buy presents for Maria, apparently."

"Buy a car," Amy suggested.

Anderson smiled. "I'm sure you'll find plenty of uses for your winnings." To the viewing audience, Anderson said. "Thanks for watching everyone! I hope you enjoyed this edition of The Mole."

As soon as the cameras were turned off, the former contestants surrounded Isabel.

"Oh my gosh, Isabel!" Maria exclaimed. "I can't believe you were lying to me during all those shopping trips!"

"I thought you knew!" Isabel said. "I knew you'd probably know if it were Michael."

"What?" Michael protested. "I could have fooled her."

"No, you couldn't," Maria said, patting his cheek.

"I bet I could have figured it out," Max said. "After all, I am your brother."

Isabel smiled. "Sure, now you say that."

Max shrugged, and held up Liz's hands. "I got the best prize out of all of you."

Tess rolled her eyes. "You're such a sap, Max."

"At least he's _my_ sap," Liz said, with a tentative grin at Tess.

Alex was still shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you lied to m--all of us."

"It was my job! Besides, I'll make it up to you," she said, with a small smile, as she placed her hand in Alex's.

Jim and Amy had broken away from the teenagers and stood quietly holding hands and talking.

Maria looked over at them and sighed. "I'm afraid there's a good chance we'll have to end up living in the same house, Kyle."

"You can always come live with me," Michael suggested, slinging an arm around Maria's shoulders.

She rolled her eyes. "My mom would love that."

"It won't be that bad," Kyle admitted. "Besides, then Tess can steal your clothes instead of mine!"

"Oh, you!" Tess said, and began chasing Kyle, who had taken off as soon as he had completed his sentence.

"What happened with those two?" Liz asked.

"Nothing, yet," Maria said. "Or at least, nothing they'll admit to. Unlike you two!" 

Liz blushed, but didn't take her hand out of Max's, who leaned down to whisper something in her ears.

Michael, perhaps following Max's lead, leaned down to Maria. "Maybe I _will_ buy you something."

"Yeah?" Maria asked, leaning against him.

"Sure," he answered, putting his arms around her. "Pens, pencils, stuff like that…." 

Maria struggled in his arms, trying to get away. "You better not!"

Michael looked down on her, a soft grin playing over his features. "Or maybe I'll buy something as beautiful as you are."

Maria stopped struggling. "Taking romance lessons from Max again?"

"Nope. I came up with that one all by myself."

"I don't really need anything, you know."

"I know." 

Anderson stood a couple of feet away from the Roswellians, smiling as they inevitably paired off. During the course of the game all of the contestants found, or perhaps rediscovered, something much more valuable then money. Something gave him the feeling that these eight young people, along with the two adults, faced much greater trials than those presented in a game show. He only hoped that what they had discovered in this game would give them the strength to survive anything life threw their way.

The End

Again, please let me know what you thought. Thanks.


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